Asked by: Adam Thompson (Labour - Erewash)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking to help end discrimination against LGBT+ people.
Answered by Nia Griffith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Wales Office)
The Government is committed to ensuring LGBT+ people feel safe, included and are protected from discrimination.
Work is underway to fulfil the commitments set out in the Government’s manifesto, including the trans–inclusive ban on conversion practices and equalising all existing strands of hate crime.
DHSC also delivered legislation to end discrimination in fertility services for LGBT+ families, by removing additional screening costs for female same-sex couples undertaking reciprocal motherhood, and lifting the ban on people with HIV donating gametes.
Moving forward, we will continue to develop policies and initiatives that enhance the lives of LGBT+ people.
Asked by: Adam Thompson (Labour - Erewash)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Veterans and People will meet with (a) survivors, (b) relatives and (c) friends of people affected by the sinking of RMS Lancastria during the Second World War to discuss recognition of this matter.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The sinking of the HMT Lancastria remains the United Kingdom's worst maritime disaster. Although it occurred almost 85 years ago, the loss of several thousand servicemen and civilians, and the fortitude of those who were saved that day, must never be forgotten.
A number of memorials commemorate the sinking, and loss of life, most notably in England at the National Memorial Arboretum, at St Nazaire in France, and at the former Dalmuir shipyard at Clydebank, Scotland. The HMT Lancastria Association also has its own memorial in the Church of St. Katherine Cree in the City of London, which is the site of an annual memorial ceremony.
Unfortunately, it is impractical to commemorate the anniversaries of all wartime tragedies with a bespoke Government-led event and thus I have no plans to discuss further recognition.
Asked by: Adam Thompson (Labour - Erewash)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of expanding NHS prenatal care to include three ultra-sound scans.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to ensuring that all women and babies receive safe, personalised, equitable, and compassionate care. We are supporting NHS England as it delivers its three-year plan to improve maternity and neonatal care for women and babies. As part of this, all trusts are rolling out version three of the Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle which includes interventions for risk assessment, surveillance, and management of foetal growth restriction.
In 2021, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) undertook an evidence review on routine third-trimester ultrasound for foetal growth. This concluded that there is no evidence of benefit to routinely scanning all women in the third trimester, compared to a more selective approach. Instead, the NICE recommends targeted scanning based on clinical need. Further information on the NICE’s evidence review is available at the following link:
There are no plans at this time to make a further assessment of the potential merits of expanding NHS England’s maternity care to include three ultra-sound scans.
Asked by: Adam Thompson (Labour - Erewash)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she is taking steps to implement the recommendations of the Financial Regulators Complaints Commission report on BetIndex Limited, published on 16 September 2024.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The government recognises the significant impact the collapse of BetIndex Ltd had on former customers.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has responded to the Financial Regulators Complaints Commissioner’s report on BetIndex Ltd, noting that it has already implemented a number of changes that address the Commissioner’s recommendations.
HM Treasury continues to engage with the FCA on issues relating to the FCA’s regulatory perimeter, including sports spread betting.
Asked by: Adam Thompson (Labour - Erewash)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the financial support available through University Credit for students in full-time higher education with dependents.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Whilst students are not normally entitled to Universal Credit (UC), if they are responsible for a child, either as a single person or as a couple there is an exception. Depending on their circumstances, they may also be eligible for additional Universal Credit elements, including for children.
Special Support Loans or Grants may be awarded to lone parent students who are in receipt of benefits, this is disregarded in calculations for UC. Where a student receives a grant only, some of the income may be disregarded over and above the £110 limit in each assessment period if the payment is for childcare costs.
Asked by: Adam Thompson (Labour - Erewash)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Education on financial support available for mature students with caring responsibilities.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Successive Governments have held the principle that the benefit system does not normally support full-time students. Rather, they are supported by the educational maintenance system. Part-time students can receive Carer’s Allowance if they meet the entitlement conditions. Certain students when they have additional daily living costs that are not met by the student finance system may be eligible for Universal Credit (UC) and carer element of UC.
If a student with the consent of the educational establishment ceases the course temporarily to care for someone and they are not eligible for a student grant or loan, they may be eligible for UC for that period.
The Department works very closely with other departments and stakeholders, to help ensure young carers get the help and support they need and deserve. How we can best identify and support young carers to combine study with their caring responsibilities where they can, including taking account of changes in the education system, will form an important strand of our future work.
Asked by: Adam Thompson (Labour - Erewash)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking with the voluntary sector to introduce new ways of treating mental ill health.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Ministers and Departmental officials meet regularly with voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) stakeholders in the mental health sector to discuss a range of mental health issues and current challenges.
In October 2024 we launched the 10-Year Health Plan for the National Health Service to gather views from members of the public, NHS staff, VCSEs, and other organisations on their experiences and ideas to reform the NHS and make it fit for the future. The plan will set out a bold agenda to deliver on the three big shifts needed, to move healthcare from the hospital to the community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention. We are working closely with VCSEs and other mental health stakeholders to ensure the unique challenges for mental health services across England are reflected in 10-Year Health Plan.
Asked by: Adam Thompson (Labour - Erewash)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) help prevent and (b) increase early intervention for mental ill health.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Shared Outcomes Fund Early Support Hubs project aims to increase the Government's understanding of the effectiveness of early intervention and prevention support for children and young people's mental health delivered in a community setting and strengthen the evidence base for early intervention. By evaluating the Early Support Hubs as a delivery model for early intervention, the project aims to build a strong evidence base, assess the impact of these services, and inform potential future expansion of the model. The evaluation of the project aims to report its findings by Summer 2025.
There are currently approximately 65 locally funded early support hubs in England offering early easy access mental health interventions to thousands of children and young people aged 11 to 25 years old, including those from low-income families.
As part of our mission to build a National Health Service that is fit for the future and that is there when people need it, we will recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers across child and adult mental health services in England to reduce delays and provide faster treatment.
Additionally, Every Mind Matters is a campaign run by NHS England, which features the mental health tool My Mind Plan at the heart of their resources and advice for those facing mental health problems.
Asked by: Adam Thompson (Labour - Erewash)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking with the (a) NHS and (b) voluntary sector to introduce (i) clinical and (ii) non-clinical responses for young people with mental health needs.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are committed to delivering a range of support, both clinical and non-clinical, to improve children and young people’s mental health. This includes recruiting an additional 8,500 mental health workers across child and adult National Health Service mental health services, to reduce delays and provide faster treatment, helping to ease pressure on busy mental health services.
Nearly 500 NHS-funded mental health support teams were operational in approximately 8,500, or 34%, of schools and colleges across England as of the end of March 2024, covering 4.2 million, or 44%, of pupils or learners. These teams work with young people and parents to manage mild to moderate mental health conditions like anxiety and depression, while also assisting schools to develop a whole-school approach to positive mental health and wellbeing.
We will provide access to a specialist mental health professional in every school in England and roll out Young Futures hubs in every community. The national network of Young Futures hubs is expected to bring local services together, and deliver support for teenagers at risk of being drawn into crime or facing mental health challenges. They will provide open access mental health support for children and young people in every community.
Asked by: Adam Thompson (Labour - Erewash)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the consultation document entitled Online Safety - fees and penalties: Consultation on implementing fees and penalties under the Online Safety Act 2023, published on 23 October 2024, what discussions he has had with Ofcom on the proposed fee regime for companies that (a) within scope of the Online Safety Act but are not categorised and (b) do not monetise their user-generated content.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Companies raising revenue from online services should cover the costs of regulation to keep the online environment safe for users. The Online Safety Act allows Ofcom to charge providers above a revenue threshold a justifiable and proportionate fee.
The Secretary of State is considering the contents of Ofcom’s ‘Online Safety – fees and penalties’ consultation, which closes on 9 January 2025. Departmental officials have regular contact with Ofcom regarding respective responsibilities in implementing the fee regime.
Parliament will be responsible for approving key aspects of the fee regime including regulations defining Qualifying Worldwide Revenue and the revenue threshold.