Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to move the LeDeR programme onto a statutory footing to mandate the implementation of its findings following the data failures and publication delays associated with the 2023 LeDeR report.

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

There are no plans to move the Learning from lives and deaths – people with a learning disability and autistic people (LeDeR) programme onto a statutory footing. NHS England’s national LeDeR policy sets out a clear governance framework and expectation that integrated care boards (ICBs) should prioritise LeDeR reviews within their delivery plans and ensure that actions are implemented to improve services and reduce premature mortality for their local populations. Each ICB is also expected to have an Executive Lead for LeDeR and to produce an annual report about their local LeDeR findings, and to have an Executive Lead on learning disability and autism.

There are strong expectations and accountability mechanisms in place, which aligns with the ambition of the 10-Year Health Plan to distribute power to local systems and drive more holistic, ongoing support in the community. ICBs are held accountable to reduce health inequalities for people with a learning disability through existing national and local governance processes such as the NHS Operating Framework, annual assessments of delivery, and core performance indicators, including on LeDeR, to support improvement activities across all ICBs.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps NHS England has taken to audit the "automated data process" introduced in Spring 2023; and how it has validated the permanent rectification of the technical defects in mortality data which necessitated the withdrawal of the September 2025 LeDeR report.

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

The errors in the updated 2023 Learning from lives and deaths – people with a learning disability and autistic people report, which was produced by King’s College London, were found to be caused by an automated data-processing issue. This meant that some data on the causes of death was missing at the time of analysis. This affected the conclusions originally published. NHS England worked closely with King’s College London, to review the report, and a revised version has now been published on 27 January 2026.

NHS England has also worked with its data processor to correct the automated processing error so that it cannot recur. King’s College London has strengthened its data checking protocols to prevent similar issues in the future. The Department is assured that this issue has now been resolved and these improvements have been applied to the revised report.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have raised the arrest of Ebrahim Sharif on 12 November 2025 with the government of Bahrain; if so, on how many occasions they have raised that case; and who discussed the issue with that government.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)

The Government is aware of the case and conviction of Ebrahim Sharif. I refer the Noble Lord to the answers provided to questions HL13268 and HL13269 (published 19 January 2026) and HL12137 (published 2 December 2025).

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the conviction of Ebrahim Sharif in Bahrain on 8 January.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)

The Government is aware of the case and conviction of Ebrahim Sharif. I refer the Noble Lord to the answers provided to questions HL13268 and HL13269 (published 19 January 2026) and HL12137 (published 2 December 2025).

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what the total expenditure by NHS England was on the remuneration of (1) chief executives, and (2) all other executive directors, of (a) NHS Trusts, and (b) NHS Foundation Trusts, in 2024–25.

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

The Department does not hold the information requested. Each individual National Health Service trust and NHS foundation trust will publish information on the renumeration of executive directors, including the chief executive, as part of its annual reports and accounts which can be found on each body’s website.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what the total expenditure by NHS England was on the remuneration of (1) chairs, and (2) non-executive directors, of (a) NHS Trusts, and (b) NHS Foundation Trusts, in 2024–25.

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

The Department does not hold the information requested. Each individual National Health Service trust and NHS foundation trust will publish information on the renumeration of its chair and non-executive directors as part of its annual reports and accounts which can be found on each body’s website.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what specific reasonable adjustments are embedded in the digital benefit application interface to accommodate claimants with learning disabilities; and what percentage of those who failed (1) the identity verification, and (2) the work capability, online application stages in the past 12 months were identified as having a learning disability.

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

The Department is committed to ensuring that its digital benefit services, including the Universal Credit online claim, are accessible to all, in line with our duties under the Equality Act 2010. This includes making reasonable adjustments for people with learning disabilities so that they are not placed at a substantial disadvantage when applying for support.

Universal Credit is designed as a modern digital service, with the online application structured in clear steps and using plain English, informed by user research and feedback. The questions presented are built dynamically based on the information the customer provides, so people only see the screens that are relevant to their circumstances, reducing complexity for those who may find long forms or highly technical language difficult to manage.

An Accessibility Statement link is also available at the bottom of each Universal Credit page. This explains how to access the service if extra support is needed, including how to ask for information in alternative formats or for additional help with managing the digital journey.

Customers who are unable to use the digital service can make a claim by telephone, and where they are unable to attend the jobcentre, a home visit can be arranged to undertake verification. Customers may also give explicit consent for a trusted third party to help manage their claim, or an appointee can be formally appointed to act on their behalf, with these arrangements recorded within the digital service.

The Department keeps the Universal Credit service under regular review and continues to work with stakeholders, disability organisations and people with lived experience to identify further improvements, including for customers with learning disabilities, to ensure that our services remain accessible and responsive to all.

With reference to the statistics requested, these are not readily available based on the requested parameters.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have requested information from the government of Bahrain about individuals applying for UK citizenship; if so, how many individual cases they requested information for; and what categories of information were requested in the past five years.

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

The information requested is not held, and obtaining the specific information requested would involve collating and verifying information from multiple systems owned by multiple teams across the Home Office and, therefore, could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether a direct train service between Sheffield and Manchester Airport will be reintroduced as part of the Northern Growth Strategy.

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

As part of the third phase of NPR, we will deliver better cross-Pennine links over and above the Transpennine Route Upgrade already underway, of which Manchester-Sheffield is a key part. NPR will unlock economic growth benefits by improving connectivity to Manchester Airport from across the North, including a new Manchester Airport station. Further details, including of future services, will be confirmed following engagement with local leaders on priorities and specific infrastructure choices.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, following the dismissal of the executive medical director at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, what oversight they are exercising to ensure that there is not a culture of suppressing clinical concerns regarding patient safety and staffing pressures.

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

We have noted the findings of the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) inspection report of 28 March 2024 into the Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which rated the trust overall as ‘Requires Improvement’, with specific concerns identified in areas such as freedom to speak up. National Health Service staff should have the confidence to speak out and come forward if they have concerns. There is support in place for staff who wish to raise concerns, including a network of more than 1,200 local Freedom to Speak Up Guardians across healthcare in England, whose role is to help and support NHS workers.

On the question of oversight, the CQC has maintained close and sustained regulatory oversight of the Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in light of ongoing concerns about service quality and safety. This has included targeted inspections, staff engagement work, and structured monitoring activity. In response to identified risks within urgent and emergency care at Doncaster Royal Infirmary, the CQC undertook an assessment in December 2025, followed by a further inspection on 6 January 2026. Significant risks were identified during this period, and the CQC subsequently issued a Letter of Intent to the trust. The CQC has continued to work collaboratively with NHS England, participating in monthly quality improvement meetings to monitor the trust’s progress against its action plans.

The CQC will continue to use its statutory powers to ensure that services meet the required standards of quality and safety.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Care Quality Commission report published on 28 March 2024 into the Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; and what steps they are taking to ensure that NHS whistleblowers in Doncaster are protected from professional detriment.

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

We have noted the findings of the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) inspection report of 28 March 2024 into the Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which rated the trust overall as ‘Requires Improvement’, with specific concerns identified in areas such as freedom to speak up. National Health Service staff should have the confidence to speak out and come forward if they have concerns. There is support in place for staff who wish to raise concerns, including a network of more than 1,200 local Freedom to Speak Up Guardians across healthcare in England, whose role is to help and support NHS workers.

On the question of oversight, the CQC has maintained close and sustained regulatory oversight of the Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in light of ongoing concerns about service quality and safety. This has included targeted inspections, staff engagement work, and structured monitoring activity. In response to identified risks within urgent and emergency care at Doncaster Royal Infirmary, the CQC undertook an assessment in December 2025, followed by a further inspection on 6 January 2026. Significant risks were identified during this period, and the CQC subsequently issued a Letter of Intent to the trust. The CQC has continued to work collaboratively with NHS England, participating in monthly quality improvement meetings to monitor the trust’s progress against its action plans.

The CQC will continue to use its statutory powers to ensure that services meet the required standards of quality and safety.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish an impact summary of the Foundation Programme 2026 recruitment cycle, including (1) the projected breakdown of priority versus non-priority eligible applicant numbers, (2) an assessment of the expected displacement of applicants, and (3) the associated mitigation plan to ensure workforce stability.

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

As part of implementation and ongoing monitoring and evaluation, after each recruitment stage, NHS England will track and monitor the revised recruitment process.

The bill will not exclude any eligible applicant from applying, but applications will be prioritised as the bill describes. The Government and NHS England will develop more detailed monitoring and evaluation plans, subject to parliamentary passage of the bill. These plans would also seek to address known evidence gaps where possible.

Further detail is provided within the published impact statement on the GOV.UK website.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the vacancy for the chief executive of NHS South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board will adhere to the standard NHS very senior manager pay framework, or whether they intend to approve an exceptional salary business case for this post that exceeds the national midpoint.

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

The Chief Executive Officer for the NHS South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) role is subject to the Very Senior Manager’s pay framework and is currently covered on an interim basis in line with that framework. Should permanent cover of the role require a review of pay for the new employee, the expectation would be that this is also done in line with the framework, but if an exceptional salary was proposed by the ICB, that would be subject to review and approval by the Department.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government on what basis the chief executive of the South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board was reportedly allowed to receive redundancy payments and pay in lieu of notice after he announced his retirement in September 2025.

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

The number of integrated care boards (ICBs) is reducing from 42 to 26 and this has had an impact on senior leadership roles resulting in a number of ICB chief executive officers being subject to compulsory redundancy in August 2025 and receiving contractual redundancy pay. The Chief Executive Officer for the South Yorkshire ICB was within this group and his selection for redundancy pre-dated any communication that his exit was linked to retirement.

The severance payments he received were contractual redundancy in line with national Agenda for Change terms and conditions and contractual pay in lieu of notice.

The Chief Executive Officer for the NHS South Yorkshire ICB role is subject to the Very Senior Manager’s pay framework and is currently covered on an interim basis in line with that framework. Should permanent cover of the role require a review of pay for the new employee, the expectation would be that this is also done in line with the framework, but if an exceptional salary was proposed by the ICB, that would be subject to review and approval by the Department.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the circumstances surrounding the death of six-month-old Mohamed Abdisamad following a non-therapeutic male circumcision; and whether this has implications for the regulation or oversight of such practices.

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

The Department was an interested party in the inquest into Mohamed Abdisamad and is aware of the circumstances surrounding his death. The Department is considering the related Prevention of Future Deaths Report issued by the coroner and will respond in due course.

The Government has no current plans to bring forward legislation or further guidance on non-therapeutic male circumcision.

The Department and NHS England do not routinely collate information on deaths arising from female genital mutilation (FGM) or non-therapeutic male circumcision.

Religious or cultural circumcisions by individuals who are not registered healthcare professionals remain outside the regulatory scope.

The Department has made no recent assessment of the potential merits of introducing regulation of non-therapeutic circumcision when performed by individuals other than healthcare professionals.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the decision not to introduce legislative change following the 2015 death of Oliver Asante-Yeboah after a non-therapeutic male circumcision.

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

The Department was an interested party in the inquest into Mohamed Abdisamad and is aware of the circumstances surrounding his death. The Department is considering the related Prevention of Future Deaths Report issued by the coroner and will respond in due course.

The Government has no current plans to bring forward legislation or further guidance on non-therapeutic male circumcision.

The Department and NHS England do not routinely collate information on deaths arising from female genital mutilation (FGM) or non-therapeutic male circumcision.

Religious or cultural circumcisions by individuals who are not registered healthcare professionals remain outside the regulatory scope.

The Department has made no recent assessment of the potential merits of introducing regulation of non-therapeutic circumcision when performed by individuals other than healthcare professionals.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many child deaths between 2001 to 2025 in England and Wales have resulted from (1) female genital mutilation, and (2) non-therapeutic male circumcision.

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

The Department was an interested party in the inquest into Mohamed Abdisamad and is aware of the circumstances surrounding his death. The Department is considering the related Prevention of Future Deaths Report issued by the coroner and will respond in due course.

The Government has no current plans to bring forward legislation or further guidance on non-therapeutic male circumcision.

The Department and NHS England do not routinely collate information on deaths arising from female genital mutilation (FGM) or non-therapeutic male circumcision.

Religious or cultural circumcisions by individuals who are not registered healthcare professionals remain outside the regulatory scope.

The Department has made no recent assessment of the potential merits of introducing regulation of non-therapeutic circumcision when performed by individuals other than healthcare professionals.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to prevent future deaths related to non-therapeutic male circumcision.

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

The Department was an interested party in the inquest into Mohamed Abdisamad and is aware of the circumstances surrounding his death. The Department is considering the related Prevention of Future Deaths Report issued by the coroner and will respond in due course.

The Government has no current plans to bring forward legislation or further guidance on non-therapeutic male circumcision.

The Department and NHS England do not routinely collate information on deaths arising from female genital mutilation (FGM) or non-therapeutic male circumcision.

Religious or cultural circumcisions by individuals who are not registered healthcare professionals remain outside the regulatory scope.

The Department has made no recent assessment of the potential merits of introducing regulation of non-therapeutic circumcision when performed by individuals other than healthcare professionals.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the value for money of public investment in the reopening of Doncaster Sheffield Airport, in particular the clause in the proposed lease agreement that would grant the landowner 20 per cent of the airport's future annual turnover; and whether that 20 per cent will apply to revenue from government grants and other public funding provided to the airport operator.

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

The Government is backing the Mayor of South Yorkshire's plans to reopen Doncaster Sheffield Airport. Decisions on the use of devolved funding and any associated commercial arrangements sit with the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority and its members under their devolved responsibilities.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is their current assessment of the percentage of "avoidable deaths" among those with a learning disability following the revision to the data published in the 2026 LeDeR report; and how this corrected figure will influence the targeted interventions within the NHS 10-Year Health Plan.

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

The headline findings of the updated 2023 Learning from lives and deaths – people with a learning disability and autistic people report remain consistent with those previously published. The updated analysis reaffirms that people with a learning disability continue to experience significant health inequalities, and on average, they die 19.5 years younger than the general population and are almost twice as likely to die from an avoidable cause of death. The proportion of deaths classed as avoidable is now higher than originally reported, at 40.2% compared to 38.8% previously reported. The downward trend over time remains, however the level of deaths classed as avoidable remains unacceptable.

The Government is committed to improving care for people with a learning disability and autistic people and has recognised the unacceptable inequalities and poor life expectancy this group of people faces within the 10-Year Health Plan. There is a range of work underway to drive service improvements and implement the plan’s goal to ensure more holistic, ongoing support in the community. This includes mandatory training on learning disability and autism for health and care staff, continued uptake of annual health checks, and roll out of a Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag.