Asked by: Anna Dixon (Labour - Shipley)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of social media on young people’s wellbeing.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
I know parents are worried about how social media impacts children's wellbeing.
Two weeks ago, we published a study led by Professor Amy Orben which reviewed recent causal research on this issue and found it to be inconclusive. There is more to be done, which is why we announced a swift consultation, backed by a national conversation.
We will gather the evidence necessary to identify next steps and give children the childhood they deserve.
Asked by: Anna Dixon (Labour - Shipley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what funding he plans to make available to Integrated Care Boards to meet demand for ADHD and Autism assessments.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England is responsible for determining allocations of financial resources to integrated care boards (ICBs). Funding for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism assessments are included within NHS England’s financial allocations to ICBs. The process of setting allocations is informed by the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation, an independent committee that provides advice to NHS England on setting the target formula which impacts how allocations are distributed over time.
ICB allocations for 2026/27 to 2028/29 were published on 17 November 2025, and are avaiable at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/allocation-of-resources-2026-27-to-2027-28/
Through the Medium-Term Planning Framework, published 24 October, NHS England has set clear expectations for local ICBs and trusts to improve access, experiences, and outcomes for autism and ADHD services over the next three years, focusing on improving quality and productivity.
Asked by: Anna Dixon (Labour - Shipley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to extend the period by which UK nationals and family members living in (a) the EEA and (b) Switzerland at the end of the transition period will be eligible for home fee status, tuition fee and maintenance support to courses starting beyond 1st January 2028.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
UK nationals and their children living in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland who wish to study in the UK will be eligible for automatic home fee status and student support for courses starting up to seven years from the end of the transition period.
The seven-year period ensures that eligible UK nationals and their children whose normal place of residence is in the EEA or Switzerland will still be able to access home fee status and student financial support in England immediately on their return to the UK.
From 1 January 2028, UK nationals and their children must normally have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands (Channel Islands and the Isle of Man) for three years immediately before the start of their course to qualify for automatic home fee status and student support. There are no plans to extend this period.
Asked by: Anna Dixon (Labour - Shipley)
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 utilising disused water and gas pipes in the laying of new electrical cables as part of National Grid upgrades.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Network operators are responsible for assessing and selecting the appropriate construction methods for new infrastructure.
The government has not undertaken an assessment of utilising disused pipes for the installation of new electricity cables but notes there are technical difficulties in using redundant pipes for electricity transmission, including the need to dissipate heat from electricity cables running through the pipes, means of access for maintenance and repair, the need to pass cables through the existing compressors and valves and, for AC cables, the need for power factor correction components.
In addition, redundant pipes are not always located where infrastructure is required.
Asked by: Anna Dixon (Labour - Shipley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to publish data on the number of carers that have been convicted of fraud since 2015 due to Carer’s Allowance overpayments.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
I refer the Hon. member to the answer given on 22 December to PQ 99553.
Asked by: Anna Dixon (Labour - Shipley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to prioritise the (a) voices and (b) needs of disabled people in the third Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The consultation on the development of the third Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy closed on 15 December 2025. It outlines that by 2035, this Government wants walking, wheeling and cycling to be a safe, easy and accessible option for everyone. The Department has engaged a number of disability rights organisations during the consultation including the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee and held a dedicated workshop on disability and the Strategy on 6 November 2025.
Asked by: Anna Dixon (Labour - Shipley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to reduce delays in Access to Work applications; and if he will take steps to introduce a fast-track process for disability groups with the lowest employment rates, such as epilepsy.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We are committed to reducing waiting times for Access to Work. We have increased the number of staff processing Access to Work claims by 27% and applications from customers who are about to start a job or who are renewing are prioritised.
The Green Paper launched a consultation on the future of Access to Work which has now concluded. We are considering responses to the consultation and will set out our plans in due course.
Asked by: Anna Dixon (Labour - Shipley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he will introduce mandatory disability pay gap reporting.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Our consultation on ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting closed on 10 June and we are now considering responses to this.
Asked by: Anna Dixon (Labour - Shipley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason the shingles vaccine is offered by the NHS to people who turned 65 on or after 1 September 2023 but not those who were born between 1955 and 1958 unless they have a severely weakened immune system.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
From September 2023, the routine shingles vaccination programme changed from the one-dose Zostavax vaccine to the two-dose Shingrix vaccine, to better protect individuals from the effects of shingles, provide better clinical outcomes, and reduce pressures on the health system. The programme was also expanded, and as a result, almost one million more people became eligible for the shingles vaccination.
The expansion to individuals aged 60 years old is being rolled out in phases to maximise cost-effectiveness and population benefit, ensure consistent messaging to maximise coverage, and take account of National Health Service capacity, all while being consistent with the approach taken by all four nations in the United Kingdom. During the first phase, which commenced in September 2023, those who reach the ages of 65 or 70 years old will be called in for vaccination on or after their 65th or 70th birthday. During the second phase, from September 2028, individuals will be called in for vaccination on or after their 60th or 65th birthday. From 1 September 2033 onwards, vaccination will be routinely offered to those turning 60 years of age on or after their 60th birthday.
At this point in the year, the majority of individuals born in 1955 will have turned 70 years old and therefore will now be eligible for their vaccination. Those who have not yet turned 70 years old but were already 65 years old or over before 1 September 2023 will become eligible when they turn 70 years old.
As of September 2025, all severely immunosuppressed individuals aged 18 years old and over became eligible for shingles vaccination. This is because individuals who are severely immunosuppressed are most at risk of serious illness and complications from shingles, and so it is particularly important that they are protected against this disease.
This is a relatively newly expanded programme, and anyone unsure if they are eligible for the shingles vaccination should check online, on the NHS.UK website, or should speak to their general practitioner.
Asked by: Anna Dixon (Labour - Shipley)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to Answer of 16 April 2025 on Question 43378 on HM Land Registry, what recent progress he has made on reducing backlogs in the Land Registry application system.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Improving speed of service remains a top priority for HM Land Registry (HMLR). All the services that people need from HMLR before they move property are either instantaneous or within its usual 3-day standard.
Once they have moved, the purchase needs to be registered with HMLR. Around a third of all registrations are automated and near instantaneous. Most take around 12 weeks.
The age of the oldest outstanding registrations has now more than halved from a peak in 2023 to under 11 months today.
HMLR processing times are publicly available on gov.uk here. If a delay to an application may cause financial, legal, or personal problems or put a property sale at risk, it can be fast tracked (expedited) free of charge. HMLR processes over 1,500 expedited applications every day, with more than 95% of these processed within 10 working days.