Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of steps taken by the US to discourage third countries from engaging with (a) the Henry Reeve Medical Brigade and (b) other Cuban international medical cooperation programmes on health outcomes in Cuba.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK continues to support access to essential health services, alongside transparency and ethical labour standards, and there is no reason those objectives should not be compatible.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support countries in determining their own healthcare partnerships without external interference.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK is committed to modern development partnerships in health - designed with the Global South - with countries and communities at the heart of decision making, shaping systems that reflect their priorities and realities - not imposing our own. Our support of the Lusaka Agenda emphasises a coordinated approach focused on country priorities and supported by increasing domestic spending on health. In our work on health system strengthening we support country-led strategies, which include a focus on primary health care, as a cost-effective and equitable approach, and one which reflects our own reforms in the UK.

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 increase blood donations among Latin American people in (a) Lambeth and (b) the rest of the UK.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is responsible for blood donation in England. NHSBT does not plan to add 'Latin American' to blood donation forms at this time. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) includes a list of ethnic groups that should be used when defining an individual’s background, and the term Latin America(n) is not used. Further information on the list of ethnic groups that should be used when defining an individual’s background is available at the following link:

https://www.ons.gov.uk/methodology/classificationsandstandards/measuringequality/ethnicgroupnationalidentityandreligion

The heritage of a donor from the Latin American region can be described within mixed white, black, and other groupings. The NHS Digital site also refers to the ONS definitions, and is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/data-collections-and-data-sets/data-sets/mental-health-services-data-set/submit-data/data-quality-of-protected-characteristics-and-other-vulnerable-groups/ethnicity

NHSBT uses several initiatives to increase blood donations and in turn improve blood stocks, and this includes marketing and communications campaigns. All activity is planned using data and insights about diverse audiences, including those from ethnic minorities. Central to all decision making is the ability to reach and connect with people from ethnic minority backgrounds. NHSBT consults with a specialist media agency to ensure they are using culturally appropriate and audience specific channels to reach mixed heritage and ethnic minority populations.

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 increase diagnosis of sickle cell amongst patients of Latin American descent.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases such as sickle cell disease. Helping patients get a final diagnosis faster is one of the four priorities of the UK Rare Diseases Framework. We published the annual England action plan in February 2025, where we report on the steps we have taken to advance this priority.

In England, there are around 17,000 people living with sickle cell disease, an inherited blood disorder with around 250 new cases a year. It is the fastest growing genetic condition in the country. It is generally more common in people of Black African and Black Caribbean heritage (77% of patients) however, we recognise that the condition is not unique to this community and NHS England remain committed to delivering quality improvement to all patients living with sickle cell.

All pregnant women in England are offered a blood test to find out if they carry a gene for thalassaemia. Those at high risk of being a sickle cell carrier are offered a test for sickle cell. As part of the National Health Service Antenatal Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia (SCT) Screening Programme, the Family Origin Questionnaire (FOQ) is mandatory for all booking blood requests. By recording accurate family origin details, the FOQ enables midwives to identify women at higher risk. For example, women with Latin American ancestry extending back two generations are considered high risk and are offered screening accordingly.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has discussions with NHS Blood and Transplant on the potential merits of including Latin American as a monitored ethnicity at the Brixton donation centre.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is responsible for blood donation in England. NHSBT does not plan to add 'Latin American' to blood donation forms at this time. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) includes a list of ethnic groups that should be used when defining an individual’s background, and the term Latin America(n) is not used. Further information on the list of ethnic groups that should be used when defining an individual’s background is available at the following link:

https://www.ons.gov.uk/methodology/classificationsandstandards/measuringequality/ethnicgroupnationalidentityandreligion

The heritage of a donor from the Latin American region can be described within mixed white, black, and other groupings. The NHS Digital site also refers to the ONS definitions, and is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/data-collections-and-data-sets/data-sets/mental-health-services-data-set/submit-data/data-quality-of-protected-characteristics-and-other-vulnerable-groups/ethnicity

NHSBT uses several initiatives to increase blood donations and in turn improve blood stocks, and this includes marketing and communications campaigns. All activity is planned using data and insights about diverse audiences, including those from ethnic minorities. Central to all decision making is the ability to reach and connect with people from ethnic minority backgrounds. NHSBT consults with a specialist media agency to ensure they are using culturally appropriate and audience specific channels to reach mixed heritage and ethnic minority populations.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason 'Latin American' is not listed as an ethnicity option on blood donation forms.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is responsible for blood donation in England. NHSBT does not plan to add 'Latin American' to blood donation forms at this time. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) includes a list of ethnic groups that should be used when defining an individual’s background, and the term Latin America(n) is not used. Further information on the list of ethnic groups that should be used when defining an individual’s background is available at the following link:

https://www.ons.gov.uk/methodology/classificationsandstandards/measuringequality/ethnicgroupnationalidentityandreligion

The heritage of a donor from the Latin American region can be described within mixed white, black, and other groupings. The NHS Digital site also refers to the ONS definitions, and is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/data-collections-and-data-sets/data-sets/mental-health-services-data-set/submit-data/data-quality-of-protected-characteristics-and-other-vulnerable-groups/ethnicity

NHSBT uses several initiatives to increase blood donations and in turn improve blood stocks, and this includes marketing and communications campaigns. All activity is planned using data and insights about diverse audiences, including those from ethnic minorities. Central to all decision making is the ability to reach and connect with people from ethnic minority backgrounds. NHSBT consults with a specialist media agency to ensure they are using culturally appropriate and audience specific channels to reach mixed heritage and ethnic minority populations.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of collaboration between UK and Cuban research institutions on (a) public health and (b) genetic medicine.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

In our ever more interconnected world, international research cooperation is fundamental to driving medical breakthroughs and saving lives. By sharing knowledge, resources, and expertise, international collaborations can overcome limitations faced by individual nations and achieve breakthroughs that benefit patients all over the world.

Whilst no assessment has been undertaken on the specific merits of research collaboration with Cuba, through the Department funded National Institute for Health and Care Research, the Department works internationally to fund, support, and enable high impact research to address national and global health challenges.

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 merits of supporting a formal bilateral exchange of medical expertise between Cuba and the United Kingdom to promote health equity.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

In our ever more interconnected world, international cooperation is fundamental to driving medical breakthroughs and saving lives. By sharing knowledge, resources, and expertise, international collaborations can overcome limitations faced by individual nations and achieve breakthroughs that benefit patients all over the world.

The Government remains steadfast in its commitment to international collaboration on health and highly values the bilateral relationship between the United Kingdom and Cuba. The Government has a longstanding policy of engagement with Cuba, including positive collaboration in areas of mutual interest.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to raise awareness of sickle cell disease amongst the Latin American and Latinx community.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases such as sickle cell disease. Increasing awareness of rare diseases in healthcare professionals is one of the four priorities of the UK Rare Diseases Framework. We published the annual England action plan in February 2025, where we report on the steps we have taken to advance this priority.

In England, there are approximately 17,000 people living with sickle cell disease, an inherited blood disorder with approximately 250 new cases a year. It is the fastest growing genetic condition in the country. It is generally more common in people of black African and black Caribbean heritage, 77% of patients, however, we recognise that the condition is not unique to this community and NHS England remains committed to delivering quality improvement to all patients living with sickle cell.

Our national Can You Tell its Sickle Cell campaign launched in 2022, to boost public awareness of sickle cell disease, including in the Latin American and Latinx community, and help staff better understand the condition, crises, and how to care for patients during their greatest hour of need. Co-developed with NHS England’s patient advisory group, clinical experts, and the Sickle Cell Society, the campaign included staff resources as well as hand-held patient cards distributed via haemoglobinopathy coordinating centres. The campaign was relaunched as part of Sickle Cell Awareness Month in 2025, and an information toolkit remains available on the national Campaign Resource Centre.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department will take steps to ensure that vehicles fitted with illegal emissions defeat devices are (a) recalled and (b) rectified at no cost to the vehicle owner.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s Market Surveillance Unit (MSU) is investigating cases of possible non-compliant diesel emissions in cars and vans. The investigations aim to ensure any non-compliance found is fixed as soon as reasonably possible, working together with manufacturers to achieve real-world impacts on air quality.

Where an investigation into the emissions has identified emissions that do not meet the required standard, the MSU will work with the manufacturer to implement improvement plans and, where necessary, recall affected vehicles. In the event of non-compliance, work to bring the vehicle into compliance will be done at no expense to the owner.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to provide (a) additional funding and (b) guidance to local authorities to support the expansion of School Streets schemes across England.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

On 19 November 2024, Active Travel England and the Department for Transport published guidance for local authorities in England on how to set up and manage a School Streets scheme. This can be found on the government website.

Funding for School Streets Schemes is available from a variety of funding sources, including the Consolidated Active Travel Fund which was announced in February 2025 as part of £222.5 million of funding being made available for local authorities for 2024/25-25/26. Additionally, the Spending Review of June 2025 allocated £616 million over the next four years to build and maintain walking, wheeling, and cycling infrastructure. Further funding is available from wider transport funds, such as Transport for City Regions settlements.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of the number of diesel vehicles in the UK that are fitted with illegal defeat devices.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is investigating a range of Euro 5 and early Euro 6 diesel vehicles where potential non-compliance has been identified.

There are currently 95 vehicle models from 28 brands under investigation. Manufacturers with a vehicle model under investigation have received a notification of this. For legal and operational reasons, the DVSA does not publish case-specific figures during active investigations.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of School Streets schemes on (a) reducing air pollution and (b) improving child health outcomes.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Provision of school streets is a matter for local traffic authorities to consider. The Department and Active Travel England published guidance for local authorities last year, which included information and research on air quality and traffic impacts. The guidance is available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-streets-how-to-set-up-and-manage-a-scheme

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 potential impact of the enhanced pre-donation testing process pilot on reducing the number of deferrals for low Hb levels.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is responsible for blood donation in England. NHSBT tests donors’ haemoglobin (Hb) to ensure they are at sufficient levels to safely donate.

NHSBT has recently changed its testing to include the first line finger prick and blood drop test using copper sulphate that estimates donors’ Hb to be above the threshold for donation. If this test is failed, second line testing with venous HemoCue, a more accurate quantitative test, is carried out. If passed, a donor can donate. If failed, a donor is deferred to ensure they can replenish low iron stores to allow their Hb to improve back to safe donation thresholds.

Earlier in 2025, the peak of low Hb deferrals was greater than 12%. With the rollout of venous HemoCue across the country, this has fallen to 4.5% of donors attending per week and has remained below 5% since 15 September 2025, resulting in improved collections.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the potential public health impact of excess nitrogen oxide emissions from diesel vehicles fitted with defeat devices since 2015.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government is committed to reducing air pollution from all forms of transport.

The department recognises that elevated NOx emissions from diesel vehicles contribute to poor air quality. The Department has not produced a specific UK-only assessment of the potential health impact.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s Market Surveillance Unit (MSU) is investigating cases of possible non-compliant diesel emissions in cars and vans. The investigations aim to ensure any non-compliance found is fixed as soon as reasonably possible, working together with manufacturers to achieve real-world impacts on air quality.

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 merits of international cooperation in healthcare.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

In our ever more interconnected world, international cooperation is fundamental to driving medical breakthroughs and saving lives. Health challenges such as pandemics, antimicrobial resistance and climate-related impacts do not respect borders. By sharing knowledge, resources, and expertise, international cooperation can overcome limitations faced by individual nations and achieve breakthroughs that benefit patients all over the world, including the United Kingdom.

The Government is committed to collaborating with our international partners and continues to engage with global health institutions, including the World Health Organization. These efforts help build resilient health systems worldwide, reduce preventable deaths and safeguard against shared threats, while supporting UK prosperity through trade and investment in health and life sciences.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many companies have a licence to grow cannabis in the UK.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

There are currently 102 licences in extant to cultivate low THC cannabis (Industrial Hemp) in Great Britain. The majority of these licences will be issued to farms. A small proportion of these licences will be issued to educational or research institutes.

The licences are generally issued for a validity period of three growing seasons and therefore will include licences issued in 2023, 2024 and 2025.

Standard ‘cannabis cultivation licences’ may be issued for research or pharmaceutical purposes.

In the last year (to 11 November 2025) 16 companies have been issued ‘High THC’ cannabis cultivation licences at a total of 19 sites. A proportion of these licences will have been issued for research purposes.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many legal cannabis farms there are in the UK.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

There are currently 102 licences in extant to cultivate low THC cannabis (Industrial Hemp) in Great Britain. The majority of these licences will be issued to farms. A small proportion of these licences will be issued to educational or research institutes.

The licences are generally issued for a validity period of three growing seasons and therefore will include licences issued in 2023, 2024 and 2025.

Standard ‘cannabis cultivation licences’ may be issued for research or pharmaceutical purposes.

In the last year (to 11 November 2025) 16 companies have been issued ‘High THC’ cannabis cultivation licences at a total of 19 sites. A proportion of these licences will have been issued for research purposes.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the answer received to question 87406 on the 11th November 2025 on Legal Aid Scheme: Housing and Immigration, whether the uplift will be backdated, once the system is back up and running, to a date when the uplift would otherwise have been implemented.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

As stated in our consultation response ‘Civil legal aid: Towards a sustainable future’, published in July 2025, we will implement the fee uplifts as soon as operationally possible. We will not backdate the fee uplifts.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to promote the use of engineering controls such as (a) biological safety cabinets and (b) closed system drug transfer devices during the preparation and administration of hazardous medicinal products.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 30 October 2025 to Question UIN 84444.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he will require NHS employers to provide ongoing education, training and health surveillance for all staff (a) who handle or (b) may be exposed to hazardous medicinal products.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 30 October 2025 to Question UIN 84444.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to develop a list of hazardous medicinal products and require safety data sheets for finished medicines.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 30 October 2025 to Question UIN 84436.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had discussions with airline companies to ensure passengers are informed of any potential passport validity issues prior to their trip.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

It is for carriers to determine that they are satisfied their customer’s travel document meets the entry requirements of the country that they are travelling to on that day.

While the UK government is not responsible for guiding airlines on the entry requirements of another country, or on the advice that they provide to their customers in preparation for their journey, it does provide guidance to British travellers regarding the passport requirements of other countries through the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office’s foreign travel advice on GOV.UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of travellers denied travel due to passport validity issues.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

It is for carriers to determine that they are satisfied their customer’s travel document meets the entry requirements of the country that they are travelling to on that day.

While the UK government is not responsible for guiding airlines on the entry requirements of another country, or on the advice that they provide to their customers in preparation for their journey, it does provide guidance to British travellers regarding the passport requirements of other countries through the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office’s foreign travel advice on GOV.UK.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans his Department has to introduce Jade's Law.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Government is committed to implementing Section 18 of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024, which introduces an automatic restriction on the exercise of parental responsibility where one parent has been convicted and sentenced for the murder or voluntary manslaughter of the other. The provision will come into force on a day appointed via regulations made by the Secretary of State, following the development of the necessary procedural and legislative frameworks to support its effective delivery.

Officials are working with key delivery partners including Local Authorities, the Crown Prosecution Service, the National Police Chiefs Council and HMCTS across the criminal and family justice systems, to ensure effective implementation. This includes considering potential consequential amendments to the Family Procedure Rules 2010 and Criminal Procedure Rules 2020, as well as supporting Practice Directions and statutory guidance.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has considered the potential merits of implementing the measures set out by The Joanna Simpson Foundation and Children Heard and Seen on support for children bereaved by domestic homicide.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

This government recognises the dreadful impact of all domestic abuse-related deaths on children and families. This is why the Home Office funds Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse to support those bereaved by deaths in this way.

Every child deserves the right mental health support, particularly in times of grief, which is why we updated the statutory relationships and health education curriculum to give teachers clear guidance on how to best support pupils with bereavement. We are also expanding access to mental health support teams in all schools, ensuring that every pupil has access to early support services in their community.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the number of nurses and other healthcare professionals currently exposed to hazardous medicinal products.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for St Ives on 5 November 2025 to Question 84136.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the £40 million Trust Fund for Chagossians under the agreement with Mauritius forms part of the £40 million support package for Chagossians pledged in 2016.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

No. The £40 million Trust Fund for Chagossians under the Agreement with Mauritius is entirely separate from the support package for Chagossians pledged in 2016. As we have said, this Government will scale-up HMG’s support for Chagossians in the UK and elsewhere.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps will be taken to involve individuals with lived experience and civil society groups in shaping the modern slavery legislation proposed in the Restoring Order and Control policy paper published on 17 November 2025.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

We are seeking to introduce new modern slavery legislation as part of our efforts to review and improve the modern slavery system. New legislation will enable us to clearly articulate the UK’s responsibilities under international law regarding modern slavery, allowing us to reduce opportunities for misuse, whilst also ensuring that we continue to provide the right protections for those who need it.

The government recently concluded a public Call for Evidence to understand how it could improve the process of identifying victims of modern slavery, human trafficking and exploitation. It was open for twelve weeks and closed on 8 October 2025.

This gave us an opportunity to hear the views of survivors, first responders, law enforcement and prosecution services, devolved administrations, NGOs and any groups or people with an interest in the modern slavery victim identification system. This work has fed into our understanding and will inform future policy and legislative development.

We also plan to arrange workshops with survivors relating to the Call for Evidence themes. More information on these workshops will be shared in due course.

I can confirm that we will be inviting key stakeholders to a Modern Slavery Forum meeting in January to consult on our plans. We will be able to confirm our legislative plans in due course.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to release the proposed modern slavery legislation, referenced in the Restoring Order and Control policy paper published on 17 November 2025.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

We are seeking to introduce new modern slavery legislation as part of our efforts to review and improve the modern slavery system. New legislation will enable us to clearly articulate the UK’s responsibilities under international law regarding modern slavery, allowing us to reduce opportunities for misuse, whilst also ensuring that we continue to provide the right protections for those who need it.

The government recently concluded a public Call for Evidence to understand how it could improve the process of identifying victims of modern slavery, human trafficking and exploitation. It was open for twelve weeks and closed on 8 October 2025.

This gave us an opportunity to hear the views of survivors, first responders, law enforcement and prosecution services, devolved administrations, NGOs and any groups or people with an interest in the modern slavery victim identification system. This work has fed into our understanding and will inform future policy and legislative development.

We also plan to arrange workshops with survivors relating to the Call for Evidence themes. More information on these workshops will be shared in due course.

I can confirm that we will be inviting key stakeholders to a Modern Slavery Forum meeting in January to consult on our plans. We will be able to confirm our legislative plans in due course.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's policy paper entitled Restoring order and control: a statement on the Government’s asylum and returns policy, published on 17 November 2025, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that asylum seekers retain access to (a) employment opportunities, (b) language training and (c) community integration.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Core Protection will allow those who are at risk to remain in the UK as long it is necessary, whilst it is unsafe for them to return.

Pathways for unaccompanied children, families with children, and other vulnerable asylum seekers will be reviewed with full consideration of our EQIA and Section 55 duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in the UK.

Details around employment opportunities, language training and community integration are subject to further policy development which will be set out in due course.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposed asylum reforms on the mental health of vulnerable groups, including (a) asylum seeking children and (b) survivors of trauma.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Core Protection will allow those who are at risk to remain in the UK as long it is necessary, whilst it is unsafe for them to return.

Pathways for unaccompanied children, families with children, and other vulnerable asylum seekers will be reviewed with full consideration of our EQIA and Section 55 duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in the UK.

Details around employment opportunities, language training and community integration are subject to further policy development which will be set out in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 12 November 2025 to Question 87401 on Prosthetics and Wigs: Ethnic Groups, whether he will ensure that there is guidance or a requirement for NHS Trusts to procure breast prosthesis and wigs which meet the diverse needs of their patients, beyond the availability of such products through the NHS Supply Chain frameworks.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS Supply Chain manages a framework agreement for the provision of external breast prosthesis and chest support garments, only which was renewed in November 2024. The framework provides the breadth of products available to meet National Health Service trusts and/or foundation trusts assessment and patient choice requirements.

The product ranges on the framework include a variety of materials, types, shapes, sizes, and colours to meet diverse needs, and all suppliers have some product ranges available in more than one colour. Some products are better suited to exercise and swimming, but the provision of a prosthesis is limited to a softie, which is textile based, immediately after surgery and a silicone based prosthesis once wounds have healed.

NHS trusts and foundation trusts are responsible for their own procurement activity to meet the requirements of their patients and clinicians. NHS England has a list of approved regional and national frameworks that NHS provider organisations can use, and they are encouraged to buy from a framework if it catalogues the particular product or service.

The accreditation standards required to be on the list cover a range of areas, from minimum contractual terms and conditions, robust supplier appointment and value for money assessment processes, through to the sharing of commercial and commission data with NHS England.  Details and the list of accredited host organisations can be found at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/system-guidance-for-the-implementation-of-framework-host-management/

NHS Supply Chain is on this list and is the main supplier of goods and services into the NHS.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the answer of 12 November 2025 to Question 87400 on Prosthetics and Wigs: Ethnic Groups, whether he will make an assessment of the impact of limited access to suitable breast prosthesis on those patients.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS Supply Chain manages a framework agreement for the provision of external breast prosthesis and chest support garments, only which was renewed in November 2024. The framework provides the breadth of products available to meet National Health Service trusts and/or foundation trusts assessment and patient choice requirements.

The product ranges on the framework include a variety of materials, types, shapes, sizes, and colours to meet diverse needs, and all suppliers have some product ranges available in more than one colour. Some products are better suited to exercise and swimming, but the provision of a prosthesis is limited to a softie, which is textile based, immediately after surgery and a silicone based prosthesis once wounds have healed.

NHS trusts and foundation trusts are responsible for their own procurement activity to meet the requirements of their patients and clinicians. NHS England has a list of approved regional and national frameworks that NHS provider organisations can use, and they are encouraged to buy from a framework if it catalogues the particular product or service.

The accreditation standards required to be on the list cover a range of areas, from minimum contractual terms and conditions, robust supplier appointment and value for money assessment processes, through to the sharing of commercial and commission data with NHS England.  Details and the list of accredited host organisations can be found at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/system-guidance-for-the-implementation-of-framework-host-management/

NHS Supply Chain is on this list and is the main supplier of goods and services into the NHS.

Local Healthwatch

Independence of Healthwatch England

Palestine Action

West London Orbital

UK participation in Eurovision Song Contest 2026

Palestine Action hunger strike

Habitat regulations

Domestic Energy Efficiency (Call for Evidence) Bill

Jury trial rights

Independent Office for Police Conduct findings on Norman Bettison

Football Supporters’ Association’s Stop Exploiting Loyalty campaign

Whitkirk Brownies and Rainbows

Israel’s use of cluster munitions

Support for early years and the National Literacy Trust

Local authority funding (No. 2)

Literacy and the criminal justice system

50th anniversary of Franco’s death

New private capital in the NHS in the Autumn Budget

Safe and legal routes for Sudanese people to the UK

Border Force industrial dispute

Buying community energy locally

50 years of service to the RMT by John Stewart, Leeds RMT Branch Secretary

Media Plurality and Press Freedom in Parliament