Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Collins of Highbury on 10 June (HL8925), whether any of the non-governmental actors whom the Director of the Gulf Strategic Fund Programme met in Bahrain have a public record of speaking out on human rights issues in Bahrain.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

As set out in the response to PQ HL8925, this was a working level visit by the Gulf Strategy Fund Manager, not at senior or Director level. The Government does not hold the information requested on the non-governmental interlocutors he met.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to assist local authorities address social care overspends, considering Association of Directors of Adult Social Services' ADASS Spring Survey 2025 finding that “the financial situation is as bad as it has been in recent history”.

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

To enable local authorities to deliver key services such as adult social care, the Government has made available up to £3.7 billion of additional funding for social care authorities in 2025/26, which includes an £880 million increase in the Social Care Grant.

In addition, the 2025 Spending Review allows for an increase of over £4 billion of funding for adult social care in 2028/29 compared to 2025/26, to support the sector in making improvements. Funding will be made available each year of the Spending Review through additional grant funding and growth in other sources of income available to support adult social care.

Between 2025/26 and 2028/29, local authority core spending power will increase by an average of 2.6% in real terms.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address comments made by Ming Tang, Chief Data and Analytics Officer for NHS England, regarding the "poor" and "inefficient" nature of many hospital computer systems; and what steps will they take to address her assertion that US-designed Electronic Patient Records were primarily intended to "maximise revenues rather than productivity or patient outcomes".

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

NHS England has supported the National Health Service to invest £2 billion over the past four years to buy or upgrade computer systems to meet the baseline standard, and will continue to support investment in the next Spending Review period. NHS England has a good relationship with US Electronic Patient Record vendors and is working collaboratively with them to ensure that software is optimised for use in the NHS in England, which includes a focus on productivity and outcomes.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will publish the names of the Bahraini bodies that have received training or technical assistance from implementing partners under the Gulf Strategy Fund in 2024–25.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Bahrain Gulf Strategy Fund Programme supported the following Bahraini bodies in Financial Year 2024/25: the Ministry of Social Development; Ministry of Interior; Ministry of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments; Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture; the Public Prosecution; Bahrain Space Agency; the National Institute for Human Rights; the Ministry of Interior's Ombudsman Office; the Prisoners and Detainees Rights Commission; and Civil Society Organisations.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how much of the Gulf Strategy Fund was (1) allocated to Bahrain, and (2) spent in Bahrain, in 2024–25.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

For Financial Year 2024/25, £900,000 was allocated to Bahrain. The actual spend was £896,594.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 21 July (HL9197 and HL9244), why the Prime Minister raised human rights issues with Saudi Arabia but not Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Oman.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The UK and the Gulf countries have close and long-standing relationships. We benefit from a genuine and open dialogue and work together on matters of shared interest in a variety of fora. The depth of our relationships allows us to work together constructively, raising points of difference as and when they arise. The answers provided in HL9197 and HL9244 relate to statements following meetings with our Gulf partners, and included non-exhaustive summaries of the issues discussed. The United Kingdom remains firmly committed to the promotion and protection of human rights around the world. Continued progress is in the interest of the UK, the Gulf and the international community.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government why the LeDeR report, whose final iteration was submitted by King's College London to NHS England on 25 June, remains unpublished.

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

The Learning from lives and deaths – People with a learning disability and autistic people (LeDeR) reports are a crucial source of evidence which help identify key improvements needed to tackle health disparities and prevent avoidable deaths of people with a learning disability and autistic people. Practical data issues have delayed the work to date and were addressed in the final iteration provided on 25 June 2025. We are committed to publishing the latest report soon after Parliament returns alongside a Written Ministerial Statement.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what are the funding streams that fund training provided by Durham Constabulary to Bahrain; what that training entails, including the names of the specific projects; the duration of the contract; and whether they will publish a breakdown of the project's finances over the past three years.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office is not directly involved with any police training provided by Durham Constabulary to Bahrain.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to include provisions relating to human rights and the rule of law in any future free trade agreement with the Gulf states.

Answered by Baroness Gustafsson

The UK is a leading advocate for human rights, and we remain committed to the promotion of universal human rights. We have a range of policy tools and levers available to hold to account those involved in serious human rights violations and abuses. In the UK-GCC FTA, provisions we are seeking include those that reaffirm core ILO labour protections, and further our efforts to promote women’s economic empowerment. We raise any concerns with the GCC through Ministerial and diplomatic channels. Our strong relationships with the Gulf do not stop us from speaking frankly about human rights or other issues.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government which five integrated care systems have had deficit support funding withheld; and how much funding has been withheld from each.

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

The £2.2 billion of deficit support funding this year is being provided quarterly, and only to systems that deliver their plans. The five systems that have had deficit support funding withheld for quarter 2 are as follows: Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care System (ICS); North East London ICS; Cheshire and Merseyside ICS; Coventry and Warwickshire ICS; and South Yorkshire ICS. Deficit support funding will be released to these systems once progress has been made and there is confidence in the delivery of their plans, with progress and funding released reported in individual board reports throughout the year.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, following reports that several NHS organisations have informed hospitals they will only finance procedures after a patient has waited more than three months, what guidance they have issued to NHS organisations regarding the use of minimum waiting times for treatment performed by hospitals.

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

The NHS Standard Contract 2025/26 Technical Guidance states that commissioners may choose to include minimum waiting times in Activity Planning Assumptions to ensure the delivery of targets within agreed financial allocations. A copy of the NHS Standard Contract 2025/26 Technical Guidance is attached.

We will work closely with all systems to ensure they deliver the expected level of improvement in waiting times as set out in the 2025/26 Planning Guidance, which is the first step in delivering on our commitment that by March 2029, 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 28 June (HL8464), which data areas King's College London was asked to review by NHS England or the Department of Health and Social Care in the unpublished LeDeR report, and the reasons for each request.

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

NHS England works with Kings College London, the academic partner for LeDeR, to produce the LeDeR annual report. Since they submitted their draft report, NHS England has collaborated with them on further iterations with the aim to finalise as soon as possible.

The Department has provided feedback on later iterations of the report on practical data issues with the aim to ensure findings were accurately presented and could be clearly interpreted by the public. Feedback related to definition of technical language, additional context for demographic statistics, and apparent inconsistencies. A final version of the report addressing feedback was shared with the Department on 25 June 2025.

We are committed to publishing the latest report soon after Parliament returns alongside a Written Ministerial Statement.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what measures are in place to ensure that learning disabilities mortality reviews are completed in a timely manner following notification, and what steps they are taking to address any delays in the process.

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

Learning from lives and deaths – People with a learning disability and autistic people (LeDeR) is a service improvement programme established and led by NHS England. NHS England is committed to ensuring that all deaths notified to LeDeR are reviewed in a timely manner. This commitment has been maintained since a pilot scheme was introduced in 2016, nationwide in 2017. There is a national, published LeDeR policy in place clearly setting out requirements and expectations across England.

Integrated care systems are responsible for ensuring that LeDeR reviews are completed in their local area, and that actions are implemented to improve the quality of services and reduce health inequalities and premature mortality for autistic people and people with a learning disability.

The LeDeR policy sets the expectation that reviews are completed within six months of them being notified to LeDeR unless statutory processes prevent that being possible or family members of those bereaved have asked for the review to be delayed.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what learning disabilities mortality review report recommendations have been mandated for NHS or social care organisations to implement by NHS England or the Department of Health and Social Care in each year between 2018 and 2022.

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

Learning from lives and deaths – People with a learning disability and autistic people (LeDeR) is a service improvement programme established and led by NHS England. LeDeR is a crucial source of evidence that helps to identify the key improvements needed to tackle health disparities and prevent avoidable deaths of people with a learning disability and autistic people.

The recommendations within LeDeR reports are not mandated but are intended to inform and guide action by health and social care organisations to improve the quality of care and services for patients, locally and nationally. Alongside each LeDeR report publication, NHS England publishes its Action from Learning Report which highlights local action directly driven by LeDeR findings.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many learning disabilities mortality reviews (1) are yet to be started, and (2) have been started but not completed.

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

Learning from lives and deaths – People with a learning disability and autistic people (LeDeR) is a service improvement programme established and led by NHS England.

As of 1st September 2025, there were 3,836 LeDeR reviews for people with a learning disability and autistic people in the LeDeR system which had not been completed. Of these, 1,626 (42%) have not been started.

508 (13%) of the reviews that have not been completed are currently on hold awaiting the completion of statutory processes such as coroner’s investigations or safeguarding reviews. 2,155 (56%) of the reviews that have not been completed are for people who died in 2025.

1,842 (48%) of the reviews were received within the last 6 months. The LeDeR policy sets the expectation that reviews are completed within six months of them being notified to LeDeR, unless statutory processes prevent that being possible or family members of those bereaved have asked for the review to be delayed. As of August 2025, 94% of all LeDeR reviews have been completed since the start of the programme in 2017.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the LeDeR Annual Report 2023, published on 2 September, what the "unforeseen pressures" on the NHS were that resulted in fewer completed learning disabilities mortality reviews than expected.

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

Pressure on NHS services remain high due to a combination of factors including high demand across all services; ongoing recovery efforts after the pandemic and industrial action, recruitment and retention challenges in the NHS workforce and the need to reduce running costs of Integrated Care Boards.

Integrated Care Systems are expected both to complete LeDeR reviews and to implement improvement initiatives in response to reviews to reduce health inequalities and premature and avoidable deaths of people with a learning disability and autistic people. This remains a priority despite pressures on NHS services. NHS England’s Action from Learning Report highlights improvement action being taken locally which is directly driven by LeDeR findings.

As of August 2025, 94% of all LeDeR reviews have been completed since the start of the programme in 2017.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what quality assurance and oversight is undertaken by NHS England on learning disabilities mortality review reports before publication, and which minister or official is responsible for approval of the final report before publication.

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

NHS England works with an academic partner, Kings College London, to produce the Learning from lives and deaths – People with a learning disability and autistic people (LeDeR) annual report. NHS England provides oversight in relation to LeDeR policy, process and wider National Health Service policy, and commissions the annual report.

The report is independent and provides analysis of LeDeR review data. NHS England and the Department check findings are clearly and consistently presented to ensure transparency for the public.

The 2023 report was approved by NHS England’s Chief Executive.

Found: Baroness Berger, Baroness Finlay of Llandaff, Baroness Hollins, Lord Kamall of Edmonton and Lord Scriven

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 July [HL8983] about the paybill of the Department for Health and Social Care, why they did not make the provision of high quality palliative care a major priority.

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

As set out in the Government’s recently published 10-Year Health Plan, we are determined to shift more care out of hospitals and into the community, to ensure patients and their families receive personalised care in the most appropriate setting. Palliative care and end of life care services will have a big role to play in that shift and were highlighted in the Plan as being an integral part of neighbourhood teams.

Additionally, I refer the noble Lord to the Written Ministerial Statement (HLWS875) that was made to the House on 22 July 2025, which stated:

“It has been brought to my attention that a written answer given to Lord Scriven contained inaccurate information related to the work of the Department for Health and Social Care.

The reply to written Parliamentary Question HL8983, tabled by Lord Scriven on 30 June 2025, stated that “the Department’s staff numbers have needed to increase to ensure the right skills and capability to deliver several of the Government’s major priorities.” The answer then went on to list a number of areas which have required additional staff resource within the Department. The Assisted Dying Bill has required additional resource but should not have been referred to as a Government priority given the Government’s neutrality on the issue.

For clarity, the answer should read:

“The Department’s total paybill and staffing costs have not risen by £20 million since July 2024; rather, they have risen, but by £2.5 million in that time.

Since the General Election, the Department’s staff numbers have needed to increase to ensure the right skills and capability to deliver several of the Government’s major priorities. During this period, payroll costs have also increased because of annual pay increases.

Given the scale of the challenges facing the health and social care system, as part of the Spending Review, the Department is working on reducing its headcount down to pre-election levels during 2025/26. This is a key step towards a streamlined centre, to support continued prioritisation towards front-line services.”

I would like to apologise for any confusion.”

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 July (HL8983), which Minister took the decision to make the "Assisted Dying Bill" a major priority of the Government, when they took that decision and why.

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

I refer the noble Lord to the Written Ministerial Statement (HLWS875) which was made to the House on 22 July 2025, which stated:

“It has been brought to my attention that a written answer given to Lord Scriven contained inaccurate information related to the work of the Department for Health and Social Care.

The reply to written Parliamentary Question HL8983, tabled by Lord Scriven on 30 June 2025, stated that “the Department’s staff numbers have needed to increase to ensure the right skills and capability to deliver several of the Government’s major priorities.” The answer then went on to list a number of areas which have required additional staff resource within the Department. The Assisted Dying Bill has required additional resource but should not have been referred to as a Government priority given the Government’s neutrality on the issue.

For clarity, the answer should read:

“The Department’s total paybill and staffing costs have not risen by £20 million since July 2024; rather, they have risen, but by £2.5 million in that time.

Since the General Election, the Department’s staff numbers have needed to increase to ensure the right skills and capability to deliver several of the Government’s major priorities. During this period, payroll costs have also increased because of annual pay increases.

Given the scale of the challenges facing the health and social care system, as part of the Spending Review, the Department is working on reducing its headcount down to pre-election levels during 2025/26. This is a key step towards a streamlined centre, to support continued prioritisation towards front-line services.”

I would like to apologise for any confusion.”

Found: LORD MAWSON LORD YOUNG OF COOKHAM LORD SCRIVEN LORD HUNT OF KINGS HEATH 185SG_ After Clause 52, insert

Found: Planning and Infrastructure Bill 34 LORD MAWSON LORD YOUNG OF COOKHAM LORD HUNT OF KINGS HEATH LORD SCRIVEN

Found: Planning and Infrastructure Bill 60 LORD MAWSON LORD YOUNG OF COOKHAM LORD HUNT OF KINGS HEATH LORD SCRIVEN

Found: LORD MAWSON LORD YOUNG OF COOKHAM LORD HUNT OF KINGS HEATH LORD SCRIVEN 185I_ After Clause 52, insert

Found: Planning and Infrastructure Bill 70 LORD MAWSON LORD YOUNG OF COOKHAM LORD HUNT OF KINGS HEATH LORD SCRIVEN

Found: LORD MAWSON LORD YOUNG OF COOKHAM LORD HUNT OF KINGS HEATH LORD SCRIVEN 185I_ After Clause 52, insert