Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what provisions she plans to put in place to ensure that recommendations from the final report of the Independent review into mental health conditions, ADHD and autism will be (a) integrated and (b) funded within the next 12-24 months.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government issued an initial response to the independent review on the day of publication, available at the link below, but we will set out the full action we are taking in response to the review recommendations in our new Mental Health Strategy to be published later this year:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-pledges-earlier-support-to-tackle-mental-health-crises

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to ensure a cross-departmental approach to the implementation of the recommendations of the final report of the Independent Review into Mental Health Conditions, ADHD and Autism.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government issued an initial response to the independent review on the day of publication, available at the link below, but we will set out the full action we are taking in response to the review recommendations in our new Mental Health Strategy to be published later this year:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-pledges-earlier-support-to-tackle-mental-health-crises

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when she plans to publish a timetable for implementing the recommendations of the Independent Review into Mental Health Conditions, ADHD and Autism.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government issued an initial response to the independent review on the day of publication, available at the link below, but we will set out the full action we are taking in response to the review recommendations in our new Mental Health Strategy to be published later this year:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-pledges-earlier-support-to-tackle-mental-health-crises

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure guidance for parents and carers on under-5s screen use reaches parents and carers in Yeovil constituency.

Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The England-wide Best Start in Life campaign is actively raising awareness of the under-5s screen-time guidance and driving parents and carers to practical advice to help families develop healthy screen habits. Paid advertising as part of the national campaign, including social media and search activity, signposts families directly to the guidance, including those in Yeovil.

This activity has driven significant engagement with the guidance. Between 27 March and 7 April, the guidance was the most-viewed page on the Best Start in Life website and is currently (as of 20 October) the third most viewed page. 

A range of supportive, practical communications materials are also available, including downloadable resources, such as an infographic, digital screens and social media assets, which trusted partners and local services can use to promote the guidance through their own channels and networks. Best Start Family Hubs are also being equipped with dedicated resources to support sessions and direct conversations with parents and carers in their communities.

The CBeebies Parenting Hub provides a further trusted route to reach families, signposting parents to Best Start in Life guidance alongside complementary BBC screen-time advice and resources.

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking with (a) online dating platforms, (b) law enforcement agencies and (c) safeguarding organisations to develop (i) stronger and (ii) more consistent protections for dating app users.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

Ofcom’s guidance, ‘A safer online for women and girls’, sets out measures that companies, including dating platforms, can take to reduce online misogynistic abuse, harassment, stalking and image based sexual abuse. We expect platforms to implement this guidance as well as complying with their safety duties.

Under the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (Clare's Law), the police have the power to disclose information to a victim or potential victim of domestic abuse, about their partner or ex-partner's abusive or violent offending. The Government is exploring how this could be extended to other forms of VAWG, including its use within online dating platforms.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of (a) collecting and (b) publishing data on outcomes for students with Specific Learning Disabilities taking level 3 qualifications.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department currently collects and publishes data on the attainment, participation and progression of learners with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including qualification achievement, progression to level 2 and level 3, further education participation, destinations into education, employment and apprenticeships, as well as not in employment, education or training and longer-term outcomes. Statistics identify the number of learners with education, health and care plans, special educational needs (SEN) support and those with no identified SEN.

Collecting data on outcomes for students with SEND helps the department to understand their experiences, identify attainment gaps, target support more effectively, and evaluate whether policies and interventions are working.

Publishing this data adds transparency and accountability, supports research and helps encourage improvement across the sector.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of Ofsted’s training for inspectors on (a) staff wellbeing and mental health and (b) understanding school context and phase in (i) Yeovil constituency (ii) Somerset and (iii) England.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

These are matters for His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver. I have asked him to write to the hon. Member for Yeovil, and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to ensure equitable access to case-finding for undiagnosed patients at risk of stroke.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Cardiovascular Disease Modern Service Framework (CVD MSF), published on 7 July, sets out 12 immediate priority actions for the next three years. This includes systematically identifying risk factors associated with stroke such as high blood pressure. For each of the priority actions, the CVD MSF brings together national standards, key metrics and delivery ambitions over three- and ten-year horizons to drive improvement and reduce inequalities across the country. A delivery plan to support the system to implement the CVD MSF will be published later this year. More information about the CVD MSF is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cardiovascular-disease-modern-service-framework

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to improve outcomes for patients with leg ulcers.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Recent National Health Service guidance supporting improvements to these services is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/standardising-community-health-services-core-component-descriptions/#specialist-tissue-viability-or-wound-care

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to advance the treatment of leg ulcers.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Recent National Health Service guidance supporting improvements to these services is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/standardising-community-health-services-core-component-descriptions/#specialist-tissue-viability-or-wound-care

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to ensure people living with Inflammatory Bowel Disease have adequate access to affordable prescription medication in (a) Yeovil constituency and (b) England.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Further to the answer of 15 June in response to Question 6991, we continue to assess how best to support people living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and we will keep the issues and proposals raised by the Hon Member under review to that end.

Approximately 89% of prescription items are dispensed free of charge in the community in England. People with IBD may be eligible for exemption from prescription charges depending on their age, whether they are in qualifying full-time education, whether they are pregnant or have recently given birth, whether they have a separate qualifying medical condition, and whether they are in receipt of certain benefits or a war pension. They may also be eligible for the NHS Low Income Scheme or could benefit from a prescription prepayment certificate to cap costs.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of classifying Inflammatory Bowel Disease as a distinct category for analysis by NHS Hospital Episode Statistics.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Further to the answer of 15 June in response to Question 6991, we continue to assess how best to support people living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and we will keep the issues and proposals raised by the Hon Member under review to that end.

Approximately 89% of prescription items are dispensed free of charge in the community in England. People with IBD may be eligible for exemption from prescription charges depending on their age, whether they are in qualifying full-time education, whether they are pregnant or have recently given birth, whether they have a separate qualifying medical condition, and whether they are in receipt of certain benefits or a war pension. They may also be eligible for the NHS Low Income Scheme or could benefit from a prescription prepayment certificate to cap costs.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of prescription charges on patient health outcomes for those with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Further to the answer of 15 June in response to Question 6991, we continue to assess how best to support people living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and we will keep the issues and proposals raised by the Hon Member under review to that end.

Approximately 89% of prescription items are dispensed free of charge in the community in England. People with IBD may be eligible for exemption from prescription charges depending on their age, whether they are in qualifying full-time education, whether they are pregnant or have recently given birth, whether they have a separate qualifying medical condition, and whether they are in receipt of certain benefits or a war pension. They may also be eligible for the NHS Low Income Scheme or could benefit from a prescription prepayment certificate to cap costs.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of improving funding for (a) dentists and (b) dental nurses to visit schools to promote oral health in (i) Yeovil constituency, (ii) Somerset and (iii) England.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

In regard to Question 33466, I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 16 June in response to Question 9049.

Regarding Question 33074, no assessment has been made. However, the Hon Member can find details how the Government is supporting good oral health in children in the press release at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/supervised-toothbrushing-for-children-to-prevent-tooth-decay

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to support the recruitment of newly trained NHS dentists in rural areas such as South Somerset.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

In regard to Question 33466, I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 16 June in response to Question 9049.

Regarding Question 33074, no assessment has been made. However, the Hon Member can find details how the Government is supporting good oral health in children in the press release at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/supervised-toothbrushing-for-children-to-prevent-tooth-decay

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to help support community-owned assets in council areas with funding deficits.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

This Government is committed to communities and wants to ensure that they have the tools they need to protect local assets. The new Community Right to Buy will empower local people to protect valued community spaces and help to end the blight of empty properties on our high streets.

We have also announced £65m for communities across the country to rescue and take over the running of important local community assets, saving pubs, clubs and sports fields from closure. Further details of the fund and how to apply will be set out in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to ensure the Cardiovascular disease modern service framework, published on 7 July 2026, reduces inequalities in the detection of atrial fibrillation across (a) deprived and (b) under-served communities.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Cardiovascular Disease Modern Service Framework (CVD MSF) sets out 12 immediate priorities for the next three years. This includes systematically identifying risk factors such as atrial fibrillation. For each of the priority actions, the CVD MSF brings together national standards, key metrics, and delivery ambitions over three- and ten-year horizons, to drive improvement and reduce inequalities across the country.

The CVD MSF sets out seven evidence-based principles of equitable implementation to guide local systems to deliver the 12 priorities, taking into account any specific inequalities and challenges faced by their local communities. They are intended to drive improvement that is deliberately focused on areas with the poorest performance, thereby supporting targeted action to close the gap.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to reduce regional variation in the detection of atrial fibrillation.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Cardiovascular Disease Modern Service Framework (CVD MSF) sets out 12 immediate priorities for the next three years. This includes systematically identifying risk factors such as atrial fibrillation. For each of the priority actions, the CVD MSF brings together national standards, key metrics, and delivery ambitions over three- and ten-year horizons, to drive improvement and reduce inequalities across the country.

The CVD MSF sets out seven evidence-based principles of equitable implementation to guide local systems to deliver the 12 priorities, taking into account any specific inequalities and challenges faced by their local communities. They are intended to drive improvement that is deliberately focused on areas with the poorest performance, thereby supporting targeted action to close the gap.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of improving education on relationship abuse amongst teenagers in schools.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

This government is committed to ensuring that children are taught to tackle harmful ideas, unhealthy views about relationships and misogyny in school. We have overhauled the relationships, sex, and health education (RSHE) curriculum, with a new focus on developing skills for healthy relationships from the beginning of primary school and equipping children with the tools to tackle harmful influences.

We have also committed £16 million to fund the Violence Against Women and Girls Prevention Programme. The programme will identify, test and evaluate the best approaches to promoting healthy and respectful relationships in secondary schools, and to responding to inappropriate and problematic attitudes and behaviours in relationships.

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of bringing social media companies into the scope of UK publishing law.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

The government has not made an assessment of the merits of bringing social media companies into the scope of UK publishing law. Instead, the Online Safety Act 2023 imposes a range of duties on social media providers, requiring them to proactively mitigate risk of use for illegal activity and must address illegal content when it appears. Providers must also prevent children from encountering the most harmful content and must implement age-appropriate measures to protect children from other kinds of harmful content.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support financial literacy education in schools in Yeovil constituency.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Pupils currently receive financial education through the citizenship and mathematics curricula, and it is for schools to determine how to deliver this appropriately, considering relevant guidance and requirements.

We are taking on board Curriculum and Assessment Review recommendations to strengthen financial literacy and will be consulting later this year.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a Youth Opportunity Grant for young people aged 18 and over to help with essential costs such as (a) travel, (b) work clothing, (c) tools and (d) equipment to move towards employment.

Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Flexible Support Fund (FSF) may be available through Jobcentre Plus to help eligible customers (including young people aged 18 and over) to overcome practical barriers to employment, increase their earnings, or move closer to the labour market. This includes employment related costs such as travel, work clothing, tools and equipment. Support is discretionary, subject to eligibility, and assessed on an individual basis.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when she plans to respond to the recommendations made in the Competition and Markets Authority's final report on the domestic heating oil market, published on 15 July 2026.

Answered by Polly Billington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The government published its formal response to the CMA heating oil report on 13 October.

A Written Ministerial Statement can be found here: Written statements - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament

The full response can be found here: Government response to the CMA heating oil market study - GOV.UK

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to boost funding for research into (a) educational and (b) psychosocial support for young dyslexic people.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

As part of proposed reforms to the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system, the department is working in partnership with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to deliver new government-backed research on special educational needs (SEN) identification and support. This research will help strengthen the evidence base on early identification, strengths and needs assessment, and effective support for children and young people with SEN, with the aim of developing and rolling out approaches that can be integrated into education settings by 2028.

Effective early identification and intervention are critical to improving outcomes for children and young people with SEN.

Through the department’s programme of SEND reform, we are working to improve access to support for children and young people with SEN, including those with dyslexia. This includes the development of National Inclusion Standards, informed by evidence, to support mainstream settings to meet children and young people's needs as early as possible. The department has also commissioned a new longitudinal study of children and young people with SEN to understand experiences and outcomes over time, including on support received in education.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential risks posed by serious offenders using dating apps following their release from prison.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Government is committed to protecting the public from serious offenders following their release from custody.

Prior to release, the Probation Service gathers information from other agencies, such as the Police and Children’s Services to assess an offender’s risk and develop plans for their safe management in the community. Where necessary, additional licence conditions can be imposed to manage identified risks associated with online activity, including the use of dating applications. Depending on the circumstances, these may restrict access to particular platforms, require disclosure of online identities, limit contact with others, or support monitoring of compliance.

For offenders convicted of serious violent, sexual and terrorist offences Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) provide a framework through which the Probation Service, police and other agencies can work together to share information to assess and manage risk. This can include consideration of risks associated with online activity and the measures necessary to protect the public.

Compliance with licence conditions is monitored by the Probation Service, including, where appropriate, requiring offenders to provide access to electronic devices for inspection. Offenders who fail to comply may be subject to enforcement action, including recall to custody.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help schools in Yeovil constituency provide school trips for pupils.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department has published a new Enrichment Framework with benchmarks to provide a clear, simple structure against which schools and colleges can evaluate their own provision, and make considered improvements to their offer, including the provision of school trips.

The UK will join Erasmus+ in 2027, opening up world class opportunities for pupils, teachers and other school staff across the UK. With the Erasmus+ scheme, schools will be able to access funding for visits to partner schools abroad. These trips have a profound impact on children, raising their aspirations and opening their minds to different cultures.

Additionally, school funding is increasing by £2.3 billion in 2026/27, meaning that the core schools budget will total £67.6 billion, compared to £65.3 billion in 2025/26.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has considered the potential merits of establishing an independent body to assess complaints relating to Ofsted inspections.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver, announced a pilot of a new complaints service for Ofsted on 16 October. This pilot introduces another level of independence to Ofsted’s complaint arrangements, where schools can request a review of how Ofsted handled their complaint including, for the first time, the outcome of the complaint and aspects linked to inspection findings. The review will be undertaken by an independent body, through a contract held by the department. Further details will be available in due course.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the per pupil funding available to schools in Somerset relative to other counties across England.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The schools national funding formula (NFF) distributes core funding for 5–16-year-old pupils in mainstream state-funded schools in England. The NFF allocates funding based on schools’ and pupils’ characteristics. In the current NFF, the vast majority of funding is allocated based on pupil numbers and characteristics.

The purpose of the NFF is not to give every school the same level of per pupil funding: schools with lots of pupils with additional needs, such as those indicated by measures of deprivation, low prior attainment, or English as an additional language, receive extra funding to help them meet the needs of all their pupils.

Through the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG), Somerset local authority is receiving £6,569 per pupil on average in the 2026/27 financial year (including premises funding but excluding growth funding).

The government will continue to review the operation of the schools NFF for upcoming and future years.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure effective oversight of local authority decisions on (a) planning and (b) highways.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

My Department monitors both the speed and quality of local planning authority decision-making. Data is published quarterly and can be found on gov.uk here.