Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government, in relation to the ongoing Best Value Notice served on the Tees Valley Combined Authority, what specific, measurable quantitative and qualitative indicators of failure they are currently using to assess whether the Authority continues to satisfy the best value duty under section 3 of the Local Government Act 1999; and which of these specific indicators, if triggered, would necessitate an immediate escalation to a statutory intervention under section 15(1) of that Act.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

As set out in the statutory guidance, the Department considers a range of qualitative and quantitative evidence when assessing whether an authority is complying with its Best Value Duty, including financial reporting and external audit findings. Decisions are based on a holistic assessment of all available information, and no single metric automatically leads to intervention. Ministers continue to require assurance of Tees Valley Combined Authority's compliance with the Best Value Duty and the Best Value Notice remains in place while they consider appropriate next steps based on the available evidence.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government , further to the Written Answer by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage on 29 June (HL979), which of the specific indicators of failure set out in the statutory guidance on Best Value Standards and Intervention are being monitored in relation to the Tees Valley Combined Authority; and whether the Authority has triggered any of these indicators in the course of their 2025–26 financial reporting.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

As set out in the statutory guidance, the Department considers a range of qualitative and quantitative evidence when assessing whether an authority is complying with its Best Value Duty, including financial reporting and external audit findings. Decisions are based on a holistic assessment of all available information, and no single metric automatically leads to intervention. Ministers continue to require assurance of Tees Valley Combined Authority's compliance with the Best Value Duty and the Best Value Notice remains in place while they consider appropriate next steps based on the available evidence.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 16 June (HL696), who authorised the sign-off and publication of National Data Integration Tenant Data Protection Impact Assessment.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The NHS Federated Data Platform (NHS FDP) safely connects information from different systems across the National Health Service into a single, secure environment. This allows staff to co-ordinate care better to improve outcomes for patients.

In accordance with NHS England’s established information governance and assurance processes, the National Data Integration Tenant (NDIT) Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) was reviewed and approved for sign off by the FDP Data Governance Group as well as senior Information Governance Professionals from NHS England.

For publication, the approved DPIA was reviewed by the Information Asset owner for NDIT and redacted in line with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 prior to approval for publication by the NDIT product owner, Programme Director and senior Information Governance Professionals from NHS England.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 1 July (HL1069), how they intend to measure and enforce equitable access to hospital-based learning disability liaison nurses across all acute trusts given that the commissioning and staffing mix of these services is left to the local discretion of individual integrated care boards.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Integrated care boards are responsible for assessing local need and commissioning services to best meet the needs of their local population, including determining how services are delivered locally to reduce the health inequalities. Therefore, staffing models may differ between areas to reflect local needs and existing provision. All staff within health and social care must have learning disability and autism training specific to their role as set out in the Health and Care Act 2022, which means that staff who see patients should be better able to meet the needs of people who have a learning disability.

We are committed to ensuring that, under the Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag Information Standard 2025, all publicly funded health and social care service providers are able to share, read, and write reasonable adjustment data by 30 September 2026. The Information Standard is mandated across all publicly funded health and social care providers, commissioners, and IT suppliers. Should issues of non-compliance arise, commissioners of health and publicly funded social care services will be able to enact contractual sanctions at their discretion.

The Government continues to recognise the value of involving patients and family carers in decisions about the care of people with a learning disability. The Health and Care Act 2022 sets duties for involving carers in healthcare. Acute trusts are responsible for determining how best to involve family carers in the delivery of care, taking account of the needs of their patients and local circumstances. There are currently no plans to establish independent or statutory audits to monitor whether acute trusts are consistently involving family carers from admission to discharge. The Friends and Family Test is an important feedback tool that supports the fundamental principle that people who use National Health Services should have the opportunity to provide feedback on their experience.

NHS England has previously published guidance to support primary care to identify people with a learning disability, titled Improving identification of people with a learning disability: guidance for general practice. This information can be shared with other health providers if a patient gives their permission. The Summary Care Record is a national database that holds electronic records of important patient information such as current medication, allergies, and details of any previous bad reactions to medicines, created from general practice medical records. It can be seen and used by authorised staff involved in the patient's direct care, including in other organisations such as an acute trust, with the patient’s consent. We expect acute hospitals to have appropriate arrangements in place to record learning disability information, including through the use of SNOMED codes, which are mandated for use across the NHS including in acute trusts.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 1 July (HL1068), what plans they have to establish independent or statutory audits to monitor whether acute trusts are consistently involving family carers from admission to discharge rather than relying on the advisory information hosted on the NHS England website.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Integrated care boards are responsible for assessing local need and commissioning services to best meet the needs of their local population, including determining how services are delivered locally to reduce the health inequalities. Therefore, staffing models may differ between areas to reflect local needs and existing provision. All staff within health and social care must have learning disability and autism training specific to their role as set out in the Health and Care Act 2022, which means that staff who see patients should be better able to meet the needs of people who have a learning disability.

We are committed to ensuring that, under the Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag Information Standard 2025, all publicly funded health and social care service providers are able to share, read, and write reasonable adjustment data by 30 September 2026. The Information Standard is mandated across all publicly funded health and social care providers, commissioners, and IT suppliers. Should issues of non-compliance arise, commissioners of health and publicly funded social care services will be able to enact contractual sanctions at their discretion.

The Government continues to recognise the value of involving patients and family carers in decisions about the care of people with a learning disability. The Health and Care Act 2022 sets duties for involving carers in healthcare. Acute trusts are responsible for determining how best to involve family carers in the delivery of care, taking account of the needs of their patients and local circumstances. There are currently no plans to establish independent or statutory audits to monitor whether acute trusts are consistently involving family carers from admission to discharge. The Friends and Family Test is an important feedback tool that supports the fundamental principle that people who use National Health Services should have the opportunity to provide feedback on their experience.

NHS England has previously published guidance to support primary care to identify people with a learning disability, titled Improving identification of people with a learning disability: guidance for general practice. This information can be shared with other health providers if a patient gives their permission. The Summary Care Record is a national database that holds electronic records of important patient information such as current medication, allergies, and details of any previous bad reactions to medicines, created from general practice medical records. It can be seen and used by authorised staff involved in the patient's direct care, including in other organisations such as an acute trust, with the patient’s consent. We expect acute hospitals to have appropriate arrangements in place to record learning disability information, including through the use of SNOMED codes, which are mandated for use across the NHS including in acute trusts.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 1 July (HL1070), what specific contractual or regulatory penalties will be applied from 1 October 2026 to NHS trusts that fail to meet the mandatory compliance deadline for the Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag Information Standard.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Integrated care boards are responsible for assessing local need and commissioning services to best meet the needs of their local population, including determining how services are delivered locally to reduce the health inequalities. Therefore, staffing models may differ between areas to reflect local needs and existing provision. All staff within health and social care must have learning disability and autism training specific to their role as set out in the Health and Care Act 2022, which means that staff who see patients should be better able to meet the needs of people who have a learning disability.

We are committed to ensuring that, under the Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag Information Standard 2025, all publicly funded health and social care service providers are able to share, read, and write reasonable adjustment data by 30 September 2026. The Information Standard is mandated across all publicly funded health and social care providers, commissioners, and IT suppliers. Should issues of non-compliance arise, commissioners of health and publicly funded social care services will be able to enact contractual sanctions at their discretion.

The Government continues to recognise the value of involving patients and family carers in decisions about the care of people with a learning disability. The Health and Care Act 2022 sets duties for involving carers in healthcare. Acute trusts are responsible for determining how best to involve family carers in the delivery of care, taking account of the needs of their patients and local circumstances. There are currently no plans to establish independent or statutory audits to monitor whether acute trusts are consistently involving family carers from admission to discharge. The Friends and Family Test is an important feedback tool that supports the fundamental principle that people who use National Health Services should have the opportunity to provide feedback on their experience.

NHS England has previously published guidance to support primary care to identify people with a learning disability, titled Improving identification of people with a learning disability: guidance for general practice. This information can be shared with other health providers if a patient gives their permission. The Summary Care Record is a national database that holds electronic records of important patient information such as current medication, allergies, and details of any previous bad reactions to medicines, created from general practice medical records. It can be seen and used by authorised staff involved in the patient's direct care, including in other organisations such as an acute trust, with the patient’s consent. We expect acute hospitals to have appropriate arrangements in place to record learning disability information, including through the use of SNOMED codes, which are mandated for use across the NHS including in acute trusts.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, in light of the National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death's report Learning Together, published 11 June, what immediate steps they are taking to ensure frontline NHS staff use accurate clinical terminology in electronic patient records.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Integrated care boards are responsible for assessing local need and commissioning services to best meet the needs of their local population, including determining how services are delivered locally to reduce the health inequalities. Therefore, staffing models may differ between areas to reflect local needs and existing provision. All staff within health and social care must have learning disability and autism training specific to their role as set out in the Health and Care Act 2022, which means that staff who see patients should be better able to meet the needs of people who have a learning disability.

We are committed to ensuring that, under the Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag Information Standard 2025, all publicly funded health and social care service providers are able to share, read, and write reasonable adjustment data by 30 September 2026. The Information Standard is mandated across all publicly funded health and social care providers, commissioners, and IT suppliers. Should issues of non-compliance arise, commissioners of health and publicly funded social care services will be able to enact contractual sanctions at their discretion.

The Government continues to recognise the value of involving patients and family carers in decisions about the care of people with a learning disability. The Health and Care Act 2022 sets duties for involving carers in healthcare. Acute trusts are responsible for determining how best to involve family carers in the delivery of care, taking account of the needs of their patients and local circumstances. There are currently no plans to establish independent or statutory audits to monitor whether acute trusts are consistently involving family carers from admission to discharge. The Friends and Family Test is an important feedback tool that supports the fundamental principle that people who use National Health Services should have the opportunity to provide feedback on their experience.

NHS England has previously published guidance to support primary care to identify people with a learning disability, titled Improving identification of people with a learning disability: guidance for general practice. This information can be shared with other health providers if a patient gives their permission. The Summary Care Record is a national database that holds electronic records of important patient information such as current medication, allergies, and details of any previous bad reactions to medicines, created from general practice medical records. It can be seen and used by authorised staff involved in the patient's direct care, including in other organisations such as an acute trust, with the patient’s consent. We expect acute hospitals to have appropriate arrangements in place to record learning disability information, including through the use of SNOMED codes, which are mandated for use across the NHS including in acute trusts.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many Jobcentre Plus work coaches have received dedicated specialist training in supporting individuals with learning disabilities; and what percentage of the total number of work coaches this figure represents.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Department is committed to ensuring Jobcentre Plus work coaches are equipped to support disabled customers, including people with learning disabilities. Through the Strategic Relationship Team Learning Disability Project, DWP has developed new learning products to improve understanding of learning disability and support effective service delivery. These have been co-designed with national learning disability organisations, including BASE and Mencap amongst others, and peer reviewed by people with a learning disability.

This specialist learning is currently being rolled out, and we are exploring ways to ensure it becomes embedded within relevant learning pathways. Due to this we do not currently hold uptake data at work coach level and are therefore unable to provide the number of work coaches who have completed this training, or the percentage of the total work coach workforce this represents.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of the Gulf Strategy Fund was allocated to Bahraini oversight and security institutions in the financial year 2025–26; and what consideration they have given to making future funding conditional on a transparent and independent investigation into the death of Sayed Mohammed al-Mousawi.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington

As I have said to the Noble Lord in previous answers, we are aware of the cases referenced in these questions. The UK maintains a constructive and longstanding relationship with Bahrain, enabling frank discussion on a range of issues including human rights. We recognise the important role of the Special Investigation Unit within Bahrain's oversight framework and note that an officer has been sentenced in relation to the death of Sayed Mohammed al-Mousawi.

The Gulf Strategy Fund (GSF) programme for the financial year 2025/26 supported a wide range of UK strategic objectives in Bahrain. This included support to security institutions in progressing community justice reforms and exploring avenues of cooperation to counter money laundering and terrorist-financing. All GSF programming is subject to rigorous assessments to ensure it meets with human rights obligations and our values.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what representations the British Embassy in Manama has made to the Bahraini authorities regarding the charges against the 41 Shia clerics arrested in May; and on what dates these representations took place.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington

As I have said to the Noble Lord in previous answers, we are aware of the cases referenced in these questions. The UK maintains a constructive and longstanding relationship with Bahrain, enabling frank discussion on a range of issues including human rights. We recognise the important role of the Special Investigation Unit within Bahrain's oversight framework and note that an officer has been sentenced in relation to the death of Sayed Mohammed al-Mousawi.

The Gulf Strategy Fund (GSF) programme for the financial year 2025/26 supported a wide range of UK strategic objectives in Bahrain. This included support to security institutions in progressing community justice reforms and exploring avenues of cooperation to counter money laundering and terrorist-financing. All GSF programming is subject to rigorous assessments to ensure it meets with human rights obligations and our values.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether Bahrain’s Special Investigation Unit is sufficiently independent to conduct an impartial investigation into the death of Sayed Mohammed al-Mousawi.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington

As I have said to the Noble Lord in previous answers, we are aware of the cases referenced in these questions. The UK maintains a constructive and longstanding relationship with Bahrain, enabling frank discussion on a range of issues including human rights. We recognise the important role of the Special Investigation Unit within Bahrain's oversight framework and note that an officer has been sentenced in relation to the death of Sayed Mohammed al-Mousawi.

The Gulf Strategy Fund (GSF) programme for the financial year 2025/26 supported a wide range of UK strategic objectives in Bahrain. This included support to security institutions in progressing community justice reforms and exploring avenues of cooperation to counter money laundering and terrorist-financing. All GSF programming is subject to rigorous assessments to ensure it meets with human rights obligations and our values.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports by Human Rights Watch that the revocation of citizenship of 69 individuals on 27 April by the Bahraini authorities has rendered at least 46 of them stateless, including children; and what assessment they have made of Bahrain's compliance with Article 15 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington

As I have said to the Noble Lord in previous answers, we are aware of the cases referenced in these questions. The UK maintains a constructive and longstanding relationship with Bahrain, enabling frank discussion on a range of issues including human rights. We recognise the important role of the Special Investigation Unit within Bahrain's oversight framework and note that an officer has been sentenced in relation to the death of Sayed Mohammed al-Mousawi.

The Gulf Strategy Fund (GSF) programme for the financial year 2025/26 supported a wide range of UK strategic objectives in Bahrain. This included support to security institutions in progressing community justice reforms and exploring avenues of cooperation to counter money laundering and terrorist-financing. All GSF programming is subject to rigorous assessments to ensure it meets with human rights obligations and our values.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by Baroness Merron on 2 July (HLWS179), why the redundancy of the former Chief Executive of the South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board can be classified as a compulsory redundancy given the statement that NHS England’s approval was conditional on potential shared leadership arrangements which did not materialise.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

As set out in the Written Ministerial Statement of 2 July, NHS England has advised that the relevant condition was that the former Chief Executive role should not be filled through external recruitment but should instead be addressed through redeployment or other leadership arrangements to avoid an additional redundancy and that this condition was met. The redundancy was therefore classified as a compulsory redundancy.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 2 July 2026 (HL232), what mechanisms they use to ensure compliance with HM Treasury guidance on public sector exit payments, given the statement that the Department of Health and Social Care does not centrally reassess whether an interim post holder performed the same statutory duties as a redundant role.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

As set out in the answer of 2 July 2026 to Question HL232, compliance with HM Treasury’s guidance on public sector exit payments and value for money protocols is secured through the relevant employer governance and assurance processes, with NHS England oversight where required. Departmental and HM Treasury approval is generally required where the payment relates to a special severance payment or other non-contractual payment.

Responsibility for ensuring that any redundancy decision is lawful, contractual, and represents value for money rests with the employing integrated care board, supported by NHS England’s assurance role where applicable.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 2 July (HL231), what were the reasons for progressing the contractual compulsory redundancy of the former Chief Executive of the South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) in August 2025, in light of the statement that ministers had determined during summer 2025 that the South Yorkshire ICB would remain a standalone entity.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England has advised that the decision for the South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) to remain a standalone statutory body did not remove the wider restructuring context in which the Chief Executive role was considered. NHS England considered the case in the context of proposed changes to ICB Chief Executive roles and local senior leadership arrangements. Its approval was conditional on the Chief Executive role not being filled through external recruitment but instead be addressed through redeployment or other leadership arrangements intended to avoid creating an additional redundancy. On that basis, NHS England progressed as a contractual compulsory redundancy.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Sherlock on 26 June (HL886), what specific qualitative evaluation methods are being deployed to guarantee that claimants with learning disabilities in the Transform Decision Making pilot are not systematically disadvantaged before any further expansion of the pilot.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Through our impact evaluation of the pilot, we will be exploring, where possible, whether there are differential outcomes by primary disabling condition. We do not anticipate being able to identify impacts specifically on claimants with learning disabilities due to the small scale of the trial and low volume of these cases involved.

In addition to the impact evaluation, we are undertaking research with provider and DWP staff. This is to understand their experiences of undertaking assessments and making decisions under the changed approach. Our qualitative evaluation methods will include observations and interviews. We are not undertaking any specific qualitative evaluation activity with claimants with learning disabilities during this trial. We will continue to monitor decision making quality throughout the trial through established quality assurance processes.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Sherlock on 26 June (HL886), what estimate they have made of the proportion of Personal Independence Payment claims processed under the Transform Decision Making pilot where a learning disability is recorded as a secondary condition; and what steps they are taking to ensure the impacts on claimants with co-occurring neurodivergent conditions are accurately tracked.

Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

In cases where a claimant has multiple conditions or disabilities that affect daily living or mobility, all are considered during the assessment and decision making process. However, only the primary condition is recorded on the data that DWP uses to report disabling conditions. We cannot, therefore, provide information on the proportion of PIP claims processed within the trial where a learning disability is recorded as a secondary or co-occurring condition. Our impact evaluation will also be limited to primary disabling condition. Due to the small scale of the trial and volume of cases involved, we do not expect to be able to produce robust subgroup analysis for claimants whose primary disabling condition is a learning disability.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Sherlock on 26 June (HL888), how the existing quality assurance process for the Transform Decision Making pilot measures the accuracy of case managers' descriptor selections for claimants with a learning disability compared to those with purely physical impairments.

Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

DWP has a number of quality assurance processes in place to support decision accuracy; these include local quality checks, independent assurance activity and formal fraud and error measurement. Together, these processes provide assurance that descriptor choices are accurate and consistent.

As part of the pilot Case Managers complete an initial assurance process following their training. During this period, decisions are subject to 100% checking before they are issued to customers. These checks focus on the accuracy of the descriptor selection and whether the resulting award is financially correct. Case Managers receive feedback on the outcome of each check and where errors are identified, may receive further coaching or support. The results of the assurance activity are monitored to identify trends and inform continuous improvement, including targeted guidance and support where required.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Sherlock on 26 June (HL888), what plans they have to introduce accredited training specifically addressing masking, verbal compliance, and executive dysfunction in claimants with a learning disability for case managers operating the Transform Decision Making pilot.

Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Through the trial we will continue to conduct user research with Case Managers to refine processes, guidance and learning requirements, helping to ensure Case Managers are equipped to make quality decisions under all circumstances. Insights from the trial will help inform whether any changes are needed to the learning offer under the transformed decision making approach.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to ask the Office of Rail and Road to re-evaluate the open access application by Hull Trains to operate services between London King's Cross and Sheffield, in light of the reductions to East Midlands Railway’s Intercity timetable.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

Hull Trains’ previous application to operate services between London and Sheffield was rejected by the Office or Rail and Road (ORR) in July 2025 due to concerns over capacity, performance and financial impacts. We respect the ORR’s decision on this.

Any Open Access operator may apply to operate new services, but this would be a commercial decision for the operator to take. Under the current system, any new application would be subject to full and independent review by the ORR. In the future, Great British Railways will be able to decide the best use of network capacity and take decisions as a directing mind.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Chapman of Darlington on 6 July (HL1195), regarding the award conferred on the UK Ambassador to Bahrain on 21 June, why they did not state whether the Kingdom of Bahrain sought prior permission from the Honours Secretariat, given the precedent set out in the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 29 December 2023 (HL1188); whether such permission was sought and, if so, on what date; and whether the Ambassador received prior communication regarding the award and, if so, on what date(s) that communication was reported to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office or the Honours Secretariat.

Answered by Lord Wood of Anfield - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Before the award was conferred, the Ambassador informed the Bahraini authorities that he could not accept it under UK policy. The Government of Bahrain did not seek the required Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) permission, and the Ambassador's handling was consistent with the advice provided by the FCDO.