First elected: 4th July 2024
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
Introduce 16 as the minimum age for children to have social media
Gov Responded - 17 Dec 2024 Debated on - 24 Feb 2025 View Alison Bennett's petition debate contributionsWe believe social media companies should be banned from letting children under 16 create social media accounts.
These initiatives were driven by Alison Bennett, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Alison Bennett has not been granted any Urgent Questions
Alison Bennett has not introduced any legislation before Parliament
Alison Bennett has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
The Government is fully committed to the Equality Act 2010 (the Act), which protects disabled people from discrimination in the workplace. The Act prohibits direct and indirect disability discrimination and requires employers to make reasonable adjustments for disabled employees and applicants/candidates, to ensure that they are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to their non-disabled colleagues.
On 29 January this year, the Government launched an independent panel of academics with expertise and experiences of neurodiversity to advise us on boosting neurodiversity awareness and inclusion at work. Many of the panel are diagnosed or identify as neurodivergent and/or have familial experience alongside their professional experience and expertise. The panel will consider the reasons why neurodivergent people have poor experiences in the workplace, and a low overall employment rate.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission and Acas have also published comprehensive guidance for employers on their obligations to disabled employees and job applicants under the 2010 Act and Acas provides a helpline for people who think they have experienced discrimination at work.
I have not discussed this with the Leader of the House. As announced in the policy paper ‘The fire safety of domestic upholstered furniture’, published on January 22, the Government will bring forward amendments to the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988, in advance of longer-term reforms.
The SI will be laid when parliamentary time allows.
This Government is working to ensure we have a high-quality and professional construction industry, with consumer protection at the heart of this. TrustMark, sponsored by the Department and licenced by the Government, is the Government Endorsed Quality Scheme that covers work a consumer chooses to have carried out in or around their home. In addition, the Building Safety Act 2022 has introduced competence requirements for both individuals and businesses working in the built environment.
Any action that the Government takes on licensing to protect customers and standards needs to be robust, proportionate and evidence based.
Companies House does not have any plans to build a specific database for the purpose outlined.
Companies House is taking action to improve the quality of the information on the Register of Companies using powers made available by the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023.
The Act also provides for the compulsory identity verification of directors, persons with significant control and those acting on behalf of companies. This will ensure that consumers are able to more easily trace the previous appointments of company directors. The systems needed to enable the deployment of identity verification are currently being implemented.
There is a robust regulatory framework that addresses the health and safety risks associated with grid-scale battery storage. Specifically, the Health and Safety at Work Act and secondary legislation places legal duties on employers to manage risks to employees and anyone else who may be affected. It is the policy of the Health and Safety Executive to continue to review its regulatory framework to make sure it works in a time of innovation.
Statutory tests and assessments at primary school are an important part of ensuring that all pupils master the basics of reading, writing and mathematics to prepare them to achieve and thrive at secondary school. They are subject to robust test development processes, which include reviews involving teachers and experts in special educational needs (SEN). Schools can utilise a range of access arrangements where appropriate, and pupils should only take tests if, in the view of the head teacher, they are in a fit physical and mental state to do so.
Although it is important that schools encourage their pupils to do their best in the tests, the department does not recommend that pupils in primary school devote excessive preparation time to assessments, and not at the expense of pupils’ mental health and wellbeing. Schools should support a culture of wellbeing amongst staff and pupils, including for pupils with anxiety and SEN.
The evidence is clear that this government inherited a special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system left in a state of disarray, with too many children not having their needs met and parents forced to fight for support.
This government is actively working with parents and experts on how children's needs can be better met, including through earlier identification and support to prevent needs escalating. We have made available £740 million to encourage councils to create more specialist places both in mainstream schools and specialist provision, and almost a £1 billion increase to the high needs budget for 2025/26 to ensure children have access to the support they need to achieve and thrive.
At the heart of any changes to the SEND system must be children’s outcomes and opportunities. The department’s aim is for the support children need to be more easily accessed earlier, and to put an end to adversarial processes with parents having to fight for support, while protecting provision currently in place. As part of our Plan for Change, we want to restore the confidence of families up and down the country and deliver the improvement they need so that they can achieve and thrive.
The adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF) supports children previously in care who are under special guardianship orders, residency orders or child arrangements orders. We are not proposing wider eligibility changes at this point.
The ASGSF does not allow unused funds to be carried over from one financial year to the next. However, where applications were agreed and therapy started prior to April 2025, that therapy may continue under previously agreed transitional funding arrangements.
The adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF) supports children previously in care who are under special guardianship orders, residency orders or child arrangements orders. We are not proposing wider eligibility changes at this point.
The ASGSF does not allow unused funds to be carried over from one financial year to the next. However, where applications were agreed and therapy started prior to April 2025, that therapy may continue under previously agreed transitional funding arrangements.
The department is committed to supporting the UK net zero carbon targets. Since 2021, our own building standards require that all new school buildings we deliver are net zero carbon in operation and are adapted to climate change.
The department is providing support for all schools and colleges to start on their journey towards net zero via our new online sustainability support for education platform and our climate ambassador programme. Where schools are considering options to become more sustainable, including considering decarbonisation of their energy supply, our ‘Get help for buying’ service provides support to ensure that schemes procured are of high quality and value to the sector. More information can be found at: https://gethelpbuyingforschools.campaign.gov.uk/.
Additionally, the department recently announced the £80 million Great British Energy Solar Accelerator Programme in partnership with GB Energy that will install solar and other technologies such as electric vehicle chargers in 200 targeted schools and colleges, prioritising those in areas of deprivation, to start in the 2025/26 financial year.
Details of other government funding available to public bodies for sustainability, prepared by the Crown Commercial Service can be found at: https://www.crowncommercial.gov.uk/social-value/carbon-net-zero/funding-and-grants.
Capital funding allocated to the school sector each year can also be used for projects that improve the energy efficiency and sustainability of school buildings, as well as improving the condition of the estate to keep schools safe and operational.
The department has allocated £2.1 billion in condition funding for the 2025/26 financial year, which is £300 million more than the previous year.
Defra recognises the vital role smaller abattoirs play in supporting local livestock producers and maintaining a resilient and competitive food supply chain.
Defra works closely with the industry including through the Small Abattoirs Working Group and the Small Abattoirs Task and Finish Group. These groups bring together Government and industry representatives on a regular basis and provide a forum for identifying the challenges and opportunities that the sector faces, and for collaborating on practical solutions to support the sustainability of small and medium sized abattoirs. This includes issues such as regulation, efficiency and labour, to help ensure the sector remains viable and resilient.
The Government will continue to engage with stakeholders to help address the pressures facing small abattoirs and ensure they remain a vital part of a competitive, sustainable and locally rooted food supply chain.
The Government shares the public’s high regard for the UK’s environmental protections, food standards and animal welfare. This Government will uphold and protect our high environmental and animal welfare standards in future trade deals. We will promote robust standards nationally and internationally and will always consider whether overseas produce has an unfair advantage
All agri-food products must comply with our import requirements in order to be placed on the UK market. This includes ensuring imported meat products have been slaughtered to animal welfare standards equivalent to our domestic standards
The Government recognises farmers’ concerns about imports produced using methods not permitted in the UK. We have been clear that we will use our Trade Strategy to support economic growth and promote the highest standards of food production.
We are seeking powers in the Home Office’s Crime and Policing Bill to provide statutory enforcement guidance to help councils make full and proper use of their fly-tipping enforcement powers. These include fixed penalty notices of up to £1000, vehicle seizure and prosecution action which can lead to a significant fine or even imprisonment.
We have committed to forcing fly-tippers and vandals to clean up the mess they have created as part of a crackdown on anti-social behaviour. We will provide further details on this commitment in due course.
Defra officials chair the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group through which we work with a wide range of stakeholders, including officials from the Department for Transport, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and devolved governments, to promote good practice on preventing fly-tipping. Various practical tools are available from their webpage which can be found at: https://www.keepbritaintidy.org/national-fly-tipping-prevention-group.
GB operates a pesticides regime based on assimilated EU law and continues to base decisions on the use of pesticides on careful scientific assessment. This includes maximum residue levels, which are set below, and usually well below, the level considered to be safe for people to eat.
Defra keeps the GB pesticides regulatory framework under continued review so that the regime is efficient and effective in ensuring pesticides will not harm human health or pose unacceptable risks to the environment.
The Minister for Local Transport’s considerations on the Lower Thames Crossing scheme are explained in the Decision Letter, published on the Planning Inspectorate website, and this sets out the proposed mitigations regarding habitats, including woodlands. The Honourable Member will understand that during the 6-week legal challenge period the Department is unable to comment in detail, but National Highways will be able to answer further questions about the scheme.
The Government takes road safety seriously, and we are committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. My Department has begun work on a new Road Safety Strategy, the first in over a decade, and will share more details in due course.
The Government is listening closely to the concerns of those affected by tragic cases of death or serious injury on our roads.
It is recognised that employers play an important role in addressing health and disability. To build on this, the Government has asked Sir Charlie Mayfield to lead “Keep Britain Working”, an independent review of the role of UK employers in reducing health-related inactivity and to promote healthy and inclusive workplaces. The review is expected to produce a final report with recommendations in autumn 2025.
All employers have a duty under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments in the workplace where a disabled person would otherwise be put at a substantial disadvantage compared with their colleagues. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the Equality Act and providing guidance on reasonable adjustments.
There has been research on the attitudes around homeworking from the DWP work aspirations project. It found that there were mixed attitudes towards homeworking.
The Office for National Statistics Opinions and Lifestyle Survey (2023) analysed homeworkers, including the prevalence of hybrid working. The survey found that having a disability or long-term condition had little effect on levels of homeworking. Disabled workers reported similar levels of homeworking only (18%) compared with non-disabled (16%). Workers who had a long-term condition for 12 months or more similarly reported homeworking at 18% compared with 15% without. The survey found that there was a difference for hybrid working - Disabled workers are significantly less likely to have hybrid working patterns (24%) compared to non-disabled workers (30%).
(a) As of November 2024, there were 652,752 individuals entitled to both Carer’s Allowance and Universal Credit in England and Wales.
(b) As of November 2024, there were 978,159 households with Carers Entitlement to Universal Credit in Great Britain, with 893,258 of these in England and Wales.
(c) The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
No recent assessment has been made.
The carers element in Universal Credit is an additional amount of benefit paid to support carers who provide care of 35 hours or more each week for a severely disabled person and as such these particular claimants have no work-related requirements. The carer’s element is paid in recognition of the support provided by carers for relatives, partners and friends who may be ill, frail or disabled.
Work allowances in Universal Credit are currently focussed on those with work requirements who may face additional barriers to finding and keeping work. These are for people with children and people who have limited capability for work because of a health condition or disability.
The Pathways to Work Green Paper set out our plans and proposals for reform to health and disability benefits and employment support. Some urgent reforms outlined in the Green Paper, such as changes to PIP eligibility and UC rates, will be introduced shortly in a Bill. Other changes will be introduced through separate primary and secondary legislation. Additionally, several improvements that do not require legislative change will focus on getting the basics right and enhancing the overall experience for individuals who rely on the health and disability benefits system
In August 2024 for England and Wales, there were 95,000 working aged claimants receiving both the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) - to help with extra living costs as a result of having a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability and difficulty doing certain everyday tasks or getting around because of their condition - and Carer's Allowance (including entitlement only) because they care for another person for at least 35 hours a week, that received fewer than 4 points across all daily living descriptors in their last PIP assessment. Their eligibility for Carer’s Allowance is dependent on the condition/needs of the individual for whom they are caring, rather than their own PIP award.
Notes:
This Government recognises and values the vital contribution made by carers every day in providing significant care and continuity of support to sick and disabled family and friends. Without the support they provide there would be more pressure on formal social care services, whether provided by local authorities or through other routes.
The Casey Commission, announced recently by this government, will start a national conversation about what care and support working age adults, older people, and their families should expect from adult social care, including exploring the needs of unpaid carers. Furthermore, the Government’s plans to reform and modernise the NHS will see reduced waiting times and improved care, helping people to remain in work and economically active. And the Government is reviewing the implementation of the Carer’s Leave Act, which gave employed carers a right to time off work for the first time. We will also explore the benefits of paid leave, while being mindful of the impact of any changes on small employers. Through the Employment Rights Bill, we will make sure that flexible working – which can play such an important role in helping carers balance their work and caring responsibilities - is available to all workers except where it is genuinely not feasible.
With respect to support from DWP, unpaid carers on low incomes can receive support through Universal Credit. This can respond flexibly to variations in earnings and caring responsibilities and includes a carer element worth £2,400 a year for those providing unpaid care of 35 hours a week or more. Full-time carers are also exempt from requirements to seek or prepare for paid work, although they can request employment support if they wish to do so. For those providing unpaid care of less than 35 hours a week, Universal Credit seeks to balance paid work and unpaid care by tailoring the number of hours people are expected to work or search for work to take account of their caring responsibilities. Part-time unpaid carers receive personalised employment support through their Jobcentre Plus work coach. This can include access to skills provision, referral to an employment support programme such as Restart, careers advice, job search support, volunteering opportunities, and access to the Flexible Support Fund to aid job entry.
For those in England and Wales who are providing care of 35 hours or more a week to a disabled or elderly person with care needs, Carer’s Allowance is available. This is subject to a weekly earnings limit, which since 7 April 2025 has been linked to 16 hours work at National Living Wage (NLW) levels. This government has increased the threshold by the biggest amount ever, meaning it is currently £196 a week of net earnings (after allowable costs, including costs related to care), compared to £151 in 2024/25. The increase means that over 60,000 additional people will be able to receive Carer’s Allowance between 2025/26 and 2029/30. This is the largest ever increase in the earnings limit since Carer’s Allowance was introduced in 1976 and is the highest percentage increase since 2001.
Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper will be published in due course, and some information was published alongside the Spring Statement. These publications can be found in ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper’.
A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.
9% of households claimed Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in 2023-2024, with 10% of these households claiming multiple awards.
Notes:
The receipt of War Pensions and Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) awards is already fully ignored when calculating eligibility for Universal Credit.
This is in line with the treatment of civil compensation payments for personal injury, which are usually in the form of lump sum payments and are disregarded as capital.
Periodic payments of civil compensation (i.e. income) in consequence of a personal injury either ordered by the court or under an agreement are fully disregarded.
The first £10 per week of a War Pension or AFCS award is disregarded in: income-related Employment and Support allowance; income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance; and Income Support. Armed Forces Independence Payments are fully disregarded in these benefits and can also allow the recipient to qualify for an additional disability amount. This contrasts with a benefit like Industrial Injuries Disablement benefit where there is no weekly disregard. Furthermore, these are legacy benefits, in the process of being replaced by Universal Credit, in which War Pensions and AFCS are ignored.
By default, the first £10 per week of a War Pension or Armed Forces Compensation Scheme is disregarded in Housing Benefit. Furthermore, a discretionary scheme allows local authorities to fully disregard them.
In relation to Pension Credit, the first £10 of any War Pension payments or AFCS award made due to injury or disablement is disregarded. Four additions to the War Disablement Pension are completely disregarded: Constant Attendance Allowance; Mobility Supplement; Severe Disablement Occupational Allowance; and dependency increases for anyone other than the applicant or her/his partner.
War Pensions and AFCS awards are a qualifying income for the Savings Credit element of Pension Credit, which is available to those who reached State Pension age before April 2016. Armed Forces Independence Payments are fully disregarded in Pension Credit and can also allow the recipient to qualify for an additional disability amount.
The income taper in Housing Benefit ensures people in work are better off than someone wholly reliant on benefits. The Department acknowledges, however, there is a challenge presented by the interaction between Universal Credit and Housing Benefit for those living in Supported Housing or Temporary Accommodation and receiving their housing support through Housing Benefit. The department will consider the issue carefully in partnership with stakeholders.
Notwithstanding these positive outcomes from work, the Department acknowledges there is a challenge presented by the interaction between Universal Credit and Housing Benefit for those residing in Supported Housing or Temporary Accommodation and receiving their housing support through Housing Benefit. The department will consider the issue carefully in partnership with stakeholders.
The Pension Protection Fund rules on indexation have been the subject of much discussion. I will continue to consider this issue, and the valuable report of the Work and Pensions Select Committee report from March 2024. The Government will respond fully to its recommendations in the coming months.
We want new mothers to be able to take time away from work in the later stages of their pregnancy and in the months following childbirth, in the interests of their own and their baby’s health and wellbeing. Maternity pay is paid for each pregnancy, not in respect of each child. For paternity pay, it is also paid at the statutory rate, even if you have more than one child, for example twins.
Parental pay is reviewed annually at the discretion of the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. From April 2025, the rate will increase by September 2024's CPI figure of 1.7%, subject to parliamentary approval, from £184.03 to £187.18 per week.
Parental pay is only one element of the support available for parents. Depending on individual circumstances, additional financial support, for example, Universal Credit, Child Benefit and the Sure Start Maternity Grant (a lump sum payment of £500) may also be available.
The Sure Start Maternity Grant is a grant of £500 to provide help with the costs associated with the expenses of a baby (or babies in the event of a multiple birth) expected, born, adopted, or the subject of a parental or residence order or other similar arrangements if there are no other children under the age of 16 in the claimant’s family. You might be entitled to more than one payment in the event of a multiple birth.
We recognise that autistic people face particular barriers to employment, which is reflected in a poor overall employment rate. In our plan to make work pay, we committed to raising awareness of neurodiversity in the workplace.
Our forthcoming employment White Paper considers how to improve employment outcomes and experiences for disabled people and people with health conditions. We are exploring how we can build on the earlier, independent, Buckland Review which was focused more narrowly on autism and employment, to improve understanding and support for all neurodivergent people at work.
We also have a range of specialist initiatives which can provide support to neurodivergent people to get back into work and stay in work, including support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres and Access to Work grants.
Employers will also be a large part of our success in this work. Our current support to employers includes a digital information service for employers, and the Disability Confident scheme. We will be considering how to enhance our work with employers in the months ahead.
The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
The Department commissioned a survey of infant feeding practices in England in 2021. Data collection was completed in 2024, and a report is being prepared for publication in autumn 2025. The Infant Feeding Survey approach is largely consistent with what the Optimal Infant Feeding Quantitative Data Framework article has proposed, including points in relation to feeding intentions, exclusive and any breastfeeding at key developmental points, particularly birth, two weeks, six weeks and six months, formula feeding, mixed feeding and introduction of solid foods. These indicators are in line with United Kingdom advice and consistent with requirements for comparison with international data set out by the World Health Organization.
The Department held discussions with the Devolved Governments to ensure comparable data where possible. The Department will consider the findings of the four nation Optimal Infant Feeding Data Framework project at the planning stage for further Infant Feeding Surveys.
It is important that all parents and caregivers receive accurate and unbiased information and support on infant feeding to help them make the right choice for them.
Most families will receive infant feeding information and support from midwives and health visitors. We are taking action to strengthen these services. We are taking further steps, including investing £18.5 million through the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme in 2025/26, to improve infant feeding support across 75 local authorities in England. We are also investing in the National Breastfeeding Helpline which provides United Kingdom wide support.
Better Health Start for Life communications provide advice and support to parents and caregivers on infant feeding via a website, an email programme, and supporting literature for local authorities and healthcare professionals.
The Government is committed to ending new HIV transmissions in England by 2030 and is developing the new HIV Action Plan, which we aim to publish this year. The plan’s key objectives will include ensuring equitable access and uptake of HIV prevention programmes, improving quality of life for people living with HIV, and addressing stigma, and we are also considering how best to ensure mothers living with HIV can feed their children.
Whilst guidelines issued by professional bodies such as the British HIV Association are highly regarded in the provision of HIV care, these are non-mandated and it is the responsibility of local authorities to decide how best to implement the recommendations, in line with the needs of their local populations. The Government will continue to support local authorities through advice and guidance, informed by evidence, to ensure they provide the best possible HIV services to everyone and avoid stigma.
The Government prepares for a range of risks and understands that families can face additional challenges around infant feeding during emergencies. The Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs work closely with the Cabinet Office and other departments, ensuring food supply and infant feeding is incorporated into emergency preparedness planning, including consideration of dependencies on other sectors.
Genomic testing in the National Health Service in England is provided through the NHS Genomic Medicine Service (GMS) and is delivered by a national network of seven NHS Genomic Laboratory Hubs (GLHs). The NHS GLHs deliver testing as directed by the National Genomic Test Directory, including both whole genome sequencing (WGS) and non-WGS testing, and sets out the eligibility criteria for patients to access testing.
NHS England, supported by a Genomics Clinical Reference Group and expert Test Evaluation Working Groups, review the test directory to keep pace with scientific and technological advances, while delivering value for money for the NHS. A robust and evidence-based process and policy is in place to ensure that genomic testing continues to be available for all patients for whom it would be of clinical benefit. As part of the NHS GMS testing strategy, there is increasing use of cutting edge, high throughput comprehensive sequencing technologies to ensure efficiency.
The Government is committed to ensuring that families and carers have the support they need.
Local authorities have duties to support people caring for their family and friends. The Care Act 2014 requires local authorities to deliver a wide range of sustainable, high-quality care and support services, including mental health and wellbeing support for families and carers.
The Government also recognises how important it is for grieving families and friends who have lost loved ones to have access to the support they need, when they need it. Bereavement support is commissioned locally, to meet the needs of the local population. NHS England has developed guidance for integrated care boards which requires local commissioners to ensure there is sufficient access to bereavement support services.
NHS England stipulates in the blood and marrow transplantation (BMT) service specification that BMT services, which include stem cell transplants, should ensure that there is a full range of psychological support, as well as support staff including social workers, physiotherapy, pharmacy, and radiology support for stem cell transplant recipients. BMT service providers are also expected to be accredited by the Joint Accreditation Committee of the International Society for Cellular Therapy and the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation, known jointly as JACIE, and the requirement for psychology support staff is also reflected in the eighth edition of the JACIE standards.
The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
66 people from the Department and NHS England were solely employed on the development of the 10-Year Health Plan. In addition, a wide range of people across both organisations have been involved as part of their regular work.
The Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) Fundamental Standard on Visiting and Accompanying (Regulation 9A) came into force on 6 April 2024 to strengthen requirements for CQC registered care homes, hospitals, and hospices to facilitate visiting, unless there are exceptional circumstances which mean that it is not safe to do so. This can be a visit from a family member, a friend, or a person visiting to provide companionship or support, for example, a care supporter.
In April 2025, we launched a review of the CQC’s Regulation 9A to assess whether the legislation has been effective in addressing concerns about visiting in health and care settings. Depending on the outcome of the review, we will consider whether further action is needed.
This information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, engages with Baroness Louise Casey regularly on a number of issues, including adult social care.
The commission is independent, and Baroness Casey has the autonomy to define her own engagement plans, including with ministers, based on what she believes is most appropriate for the commission’s work.
The Department has no plans to reinstate the bursary for podiatry students, however the Government keeps funding arrangements for all healthcare students under close review.
Supplementary financial support is available to podiatry students through the NHS Learning Support Fund (LSF). The LSF offers non-repayable funding, in addition to maintenance and tuition fee loans provided by the Student Loans Company. This includes a non-repayable training grant of £5,000 per academic year plus an additional specialist subject payment of £1,000 a year for podiatry students, and where eligible, £2,000 per year for students with childcare responsibilities.
We will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan to ensure the National Health Service has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients when they need it.
The National Health Service podiatry and orthotics service provided by the Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust is made up of registered podiatrists, orthotists, nurses, and health care assistants who provide a comprehensive foot health service to adults and children across West Sussex and Brighton and Hove.
The service works with general practice (GP) services if prescriptions are required, and with local hospital trusts to provide treatment for patients who need specialist support.
To access the service an individual will need to be referred by their GP, a nurse, or an allied health professional. Children also need to be referred by a healthcare professional which may be a GP, a dentist, a school nurse, or community and specialist nurse. All referrals are assessed on the day of receipt and if a case is urgent, the service will contact the person within 48 hours to book an appointment.
Most appointments are face to face but they do offer home visits if a patient is housebound and meets set criteria. Some appointments can be performed via a telephone consultation.
Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning the majority of health and care services, including podiatry services in England. ICBs arrange healthcare services to meet the needs of their local population within the available resources, and to reduce inequalities in access to, and outcomes from, healthcare services.
The Department understands the impact that Duchenne muscular dystrophy has on those living with it, and their families, and the urgent need for new treatment options. If new therapies for Duchenne muscular dystrophy are approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), then appropriate commissioning plans will be put in place to enable equitable access to treatment through Specialised Neurology Services.
The delivery of timely and equitable access to new treatments for Duchenne muscular dystrophy under company-sponsored early access schemes (EAPs) is not the responsibility of NHS England. Participation in company-led schemes is decided at an individual National Health Service trust level and under these programmes, the cost of the drug is free to both the patients taking part in it, and to the NHS, although NHS trusts must still cover the administration costs and provide the clinical resources to deliver the EAP.
NHS England has published guidance for integrated care systems (ICS) on free of charge medicines schemes, providing advice on potential financial, resourcing, and clinical risks.
ICSs should use the guidance to help determine whether to implement any free of charge scheme, including assessing suitability and any risks in the short, medium, and long term. The guidance is available at the following link: