Asked by: Alison Hume (Labour - Scarborough and Whitby)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of endometriosis services in the North East.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health as we build a National Health Service fit for the future, and women’s equality will be at the heart of our missions. We have also taken urgent action to tackle gynaecology waiting lists through the Elective Reform Plan. In gynaecology, the plan supports innovative models offering patients care closer to home as well as the piloting of gynaecology pathways in community diagnostic centres for patients with post-menopausal bleeding.
We encourage any woman or girl with symptoms of endometriosis to contact their general practice (GP). Within the Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, a GP may then refer a patient to a secondary care service, and in the Scarborough and Whitby area this will likely be to one of two services. Firstly, there is an endometriosis centre based in York Hospital, with further information available at the following link:
This is accredited by the British Society of Gynaecology Endoscopy and includes a multi-disciplinary team of experts providing high-quality, evidence-based care and treatment for people with all grades of endometriosis. Secondly, there is a Gynaecology Service at South Tees Hospital, with further information available at the following link:
https://www.southtees.nhs.uk/services/gynaecology/
This includes an endometriosis specialist, provided from James Cook University Hospital in Middlesborough, with further information available at the following link:
https://www.southtees.nhs.uk/consultants/miss-pinky-khatri/
Asked by: Alison Hume (Labour - Scarborough and Whitby)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance his Department has issued on the circumstances in which heather burning can be used to manage (a) moorland and (b) peatland.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra and Natural England are currently consulting with stakeholders to develop a refreshed Heather and Grass Management Code to replace the Heather and Grass Burning Code, published in 2007. The code will detail good practice on planning where to burn and how to burn safely and responsibly. This is in addition to detailed guidance published to support The Heather and Grass etc Burning (England) Regulations 2021.
Asked by: Alison Hume (Labour - Scarborough and Whitby)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure the safety of young people on social media.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Our priority is the effective implementation of the Online Safety Act so that users benefit from its wide-reaching protections.
The Act requires all services in scope to take steps to protect users, including children, from illegal content and criminal behaviour. In addition, those likely to be accessed by children will also need to provide additional safety measures to protect them from harmful and age-inappropriate content.
Ofcom also has duty to promote media literacy to help the public understand the nature and impact of harmful content and online behaviour.
Asked by: Alison Hume (Labour - Scarborough and Whitby)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to introduce mandatory labelling of food products.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Newton Abbot, Martin Wrigley, on 28 January 2025, PQ 25017.
Asked by: Alison Hume (Labour - Scarborough and Whitby)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Government plans to introduce a cap for social care costs.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
His Majesty’s Government inherited a commitment to implement charging reforms, including a cap on personal care costs, in October 2025. Regrettably, funding for these reforms had not been guaranteed, preparations for full rollout were not on track, and thus it was impossible to deliver these reforms by next October.
This government remains committed to reforming the adult social care sector; and we are launching an independent commission into adult social care as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service.
Chaired by Baroness Louise Casey and reporting to the Prime Minister, the Commission will be comprehensive and will build on the expert proposals of other reviews, including that of Sir Andrew Dilnot into care funding and support. It will be broader and wider than ever before, asking essential questions about the shape and future of the social care sector, including what long-term and sustainable funding solutions should look like.
Asked by: Alison Hume (Labour - Scarborough and Whitby)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of continuing care assessments resulted in eligibility in (a) the Yorkshire and Humber Integrated Care Board and (b) England in the most recent year for which figures are available.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The following table shows the number of NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) standard assessments completed, as well as the number and proportion assessed as eligible, in 2023/24, for England and the NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board:
Area | Standard CHC assessments completed | Number assessed as eligible | Percentage assessed as eligible |
England | 51,165 | 10,791 | 21% |
NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board | 1,548 | 272 | 18% |
It is not possible to calculate the proportion of cases that became no longer eligible as a specific sub-set of the cases found eligible in that same year. The number of no longer eligible cases in 2023/24 will relate to all cases that became no longer eligible during 2023/24, which could include cases that were eligible before that year, as well as cases that became eligible in that year.
The following table shows the number of those eligible for standard CHC, as well as the number and proportion of cases no longer eligible, for the year 2023/24 to date, for England and the NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board:
Area | Number eligible for standard CHC | Number no longer eligible for NHS CHC | Percentage of eligible cases no longer eligible for standard CHC |
England | 47,871 | 13,669 | 29% |
NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board | 1,451 | 367 | 25% |
Note: no longer eligible may be for a variety of reasons, including individuals no longer meeting the criteria, the client being deceased, the client or family withdrawing, etc.
Asked by: Alison Hume (Labour - Scarborough and Whitby)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of continuing care assessments that result in eligibility in (a) the Yorkshire and Humber Integrated Care Board area and (b) England are subsequently removed at a later stage.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The following table shows the number of NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) standard assessments completed, as well as the number and proportion assessed as eligible, in 2023/24, for England and the NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board:
Area | Standard CHC assessments completed | Number assessed as eligible | Percentage assessed as eligible |
England | 51,165 | 10,791 | 21% |
NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board | 1,548 | 272 | 18% |
It is not possible to calculate the proportion of cases that became no longer eligible as a specific sub-set of the cases found eligible in that same year. The number of no longer eligible cases in 2023/24 will relate to all cases that became no longer eligible during 2023/24, which could include cases that were eligible before that year, as well as cases that became eligible in that year.
The following table shows the number of those eligible for standard CHC, as well as the number and proportion of cases no longer eligible, for the year 2023/24 to date, for England and the NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board:
Area | Number eligible for standard CHC | Number no longer eligible for NHS CHC | Percentage of eligible cases no longer eligible for standard CHC |
England | 47,871 | 13,669 | 29% |
NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board | 1,451 | 367 | 25% |
Note: no longer eligible may be for a variety of reasons, including individuals no longer meeting the criteria, the client being deceased, the client or family withdrawing, etc.
Asked by: Alison Hume (Labour - Scarborough and Whitby)
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 potential impact of the Youth Guarantee on young people in Scarborough and Whitby constituency.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Youth Guarantee will ensure that all 18-21 year olds have access to education and training opportunities or support to find work. All young people will have access to the same core national offer and entitlements under the Youth Guarantee. However, we know that the needs of young people and the labour market vary in different areas across England, so it is important that local areas are able to tailor the Youth Guarantee, so it best meets those needs. As a first step, the Get Britain Working White Paper announced funding for 8 Youth Guarantee Trailblazer areas in England in 2025/26. Learning from the Trailblazers will inform our approach in the future.
Our Youth Guarantee will ensure everyone aged 18-21 in England can access quality training, educational opportunities or help to find work - wherever they live.
Work is underway on the design and delivery of the new Youth Guarantee. We are unable to make an official assessment of the potential impact of the Youth Guarantee on young people in Scarborough and Whitby constituency at this early stage.
Asked by: Alison Hume (Labour - Scarborough and Whitby)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of using cellular smart meters to create a fully functioning smart meter network in the north of England.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Under its licence, the Data Communications Company (DCC) is obligated to provide Wide Area Network (WAN) coverage to at least 99.5% of premises across its ‘North’ region.
DCC's work on its Future Connectivity strategy includes consideration of a full range of technical solutions including cellular options.
Asked by: Alison Hume (Labour - Scarborough and Whitby)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing targeted financial support to people with mobility impairments that are purchasing adapted bicycles.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government has announced an additional £100 million investment in cycling and walking infrastructure for the financial year 2025/26. As the Department develops its future plans for active travel, it will consider, alongside Active Travel England, options for enabling more disabled people to access adapted cycles. In the meantime, the Cycle to Work scheme already enables many people to access adapted cycles at a reduced cost.