Asked by: Anna Sabine (Liberal Democrat - Frome and East Somerset)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to make weight loss medications available to people living with obesity who are unable to afford them privately and who fall below the weight threshold required for NHS prescription as a result of using the medication.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Our 10-Year Health Plan highlights the risk that these medicines will be accessed by those who can pay over those with the highest clinical need. The plan makes a commitment to expand access on the National Health Service through innovative industry partnerships, delivering weight loss services and treatments to patients. Continuing to make these medicines more widely available on the NHS will help reduce inequalities in access.
NHS access is being prioritised for those with the highest clinical need first. NHS England has worked with clinical experts, integrated care boards, patient and public representatives, healthcare professionals, charities, and royal colleges on its prioritisation approach, which is set out in its interim commissioning guidance and available at the following link:
We do not currently have plans to make these medicines available to those who have fallen below the weight threshold required for NHS prescription as a result of using the medication privately. For patients prescribed these medicines by the NHS, they will continue to receive these medicines for as long as clinically appropriate.
For those not currently eligible for weight loss medications, there are a variety of weight management services provided by the NHS and local government. These range from multi-component behavioural programmes to specialist services for those living with severe obesity and associated co-morbidities.
Asked by: Anna Sabine (Liberal Democrat - Frome and East Somerset)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether the Government has sought legal advice in relation to the US President's planned legal action against the BBC.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
This is a matter for the BBC, whose lawyers are now dealing with the issue. The BBC is independent of the UK government and so it is a matter for them and the US President.
Asked by: Anna Sabine (Liberal Democrat - Frome and East Somerset)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the report by the Patient Safety Commissioner entitled The Hughes Report: Options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh, published on 7 February 2024.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is carefully considering the work by the Patient Safety Commissioner and her report, which set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. This is a complex issue involving input from different Government departments. The Government will provide a further update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report.
Asked by: Anna Sabine (Liberal Democrat - Frome and East Somerset)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of compensating (a) people and (b) families of people with Foetal Valproate Syndrome.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is carefully considering the work by the Patient Safety Commissioner and her report, which set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. This is a complex issue involving input from different Government departments. The Government will provide a further update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report.
Asked by: Anna Sabine (Liberal Democrat - Frome and East Somerset)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps he has taken with the British Dental Association to make changes to the dental contract.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are committed to reforming the dental contract, with a focus on matching resources to need, improving access, promoting prevention, and rewarding dentists fairly, while enabling the whole dental team to work to the top of their capability.
Ministers meet regularly with external stakeholders on a variety of topics, including, but not limited to, dentistry. Details of ministerial meetings are published quarterly in arrears on the GOV.UK website.
We are continuing to meet the British Dental Association and other representatives of the dental sector to discuss how we can best deliver our shared ambition to improve access for National Health Service dental patients.
Asked by: Anna Sabine (Liberal Democrat - Frome and East Somerset)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he last met with the British Dental Association.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are committed to reforming the dental contract, with a focus on matching resources to need, improving access, promoting prevention, and rewarding dentists fairly, while enabling the whole dental team to work to the top of their capability.
Ministers meet regularly with external stakeholders on a variety of topics, including, but not limited to, dentistry. Details of ministerial meetings are published quarterly in arrears on the GOV.UK website.
We are continuing to meet the British Dental Association and other representatives of the dental sector to discuss how we can best deliver our shared ambition to improve access for National Health Service dental patients.
Asked by: Anna Sabine (Liberal Democrat - Frome and East Somerset)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his Department's timeline is for publishing its plan for Fracture Liaison Services.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Fracture Liaison Services are commissioned by integrated care boards, which are well-placed to make decisions according to local need.
Our 10-Year Health Plan committed to rolling out Fracture Liaison Services across every part of the country by 2030.
Asked by: Anna Sabine (Liberal Democrat - Frome and East Somerset)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her Department’s policies of cases of fraud involving the Seventy Ninth Group.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
On 28 February 2025, the City of London Police announced that it was investigating allegations of fraud in relation to the 79th Group. It is understood that the 79th Group offered investment opportunities involving loan notes that were marketed as being secured against properties. The investigation remains in progress.
A number of entities in the 79th Group have been placed into administration. On 14 July 2025 the joint administrators published an update on the administration, which can be viewed on the Companies House website.
Asked by: Anna Sabine (Liberal Democrat - Frome and East Somerset)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to support victims of fraud from 79th Group.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
Our ongoing Stop! Think Fraud campaign continues to raise awareness and provide practical guidance to help both the public and businesses protect themselves against fraudulent activity.
Furthermore, the government has legislated to implement mandatory reimbursement for victims of Authorised Push Payment (APP) scams. This measure came into effect in October 2024 and is already contributing to improved outcomes for victims, while also strengthening incentives for firms to prevent these scams from occurring in the first place.
Asked by: Anna Sabine (Liberal Democrat - Frome and East Somerset)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the assessment of the Music Hub programme by the National Centre for Social Research will report on the progression of students.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
The government is investing £25 million capital for musical instruments, equipment and technology from the 2024/25 academic year, across all Music Hub partnerships in England. The proportion of the funding distributed to date by region is set out below, with the remaining funding to be distributed by the end of the 2025/26 academic year.
England | Proportion distributed |
East Midlands | 43% |
East of England | 30% |
London | 36% |
East and South East | 30% |
North East | 30% |
North West | 37% |
South East | 52% |
South West | 47% |
West Midlands | 29% |
Yorkshire and The Humber | 34% |
England | 38% |
The independent evaluation is focussed on implementation, delivery and impact of the partnerships and capital investment, and reported benefits for pupils and schools. Interim findings are due by autumn 2025.
Data on progression at pupil level is outside of the scope of the evaluation, however Arts Council England publishes management information on standards achieved through whole class ensemble teaching, and individual and group lessons, on their Music Hubs data dashboard.
It is for schools to decide whether to seek the support of Music Hub partnerships. Guidance on schools’ annual music development plans strongly encourages them to do so.