Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to Breast Cancer Awareness Month, what steps he is taking in November 2025 to promote inclusive (a) wig and (b) prosthetic services.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department and the National Health Service in England recognise that there are particular challenges for specific groups of people and for breast cancer care, particularly concerning the promotion of inclusive wigs and prosthetic services.
For wigs and accessories, NHS Supply Chain has conducted extensive engagement nationally to fully understand the provision and supply and is working closely with industry groups to support access to the wigs framework, to provide a wider range of products for NHS providers to access. Appropriateness for the wearer has been one of the fundamental focus areas of consideration in this work.
Decisions about the funding and provision of health services, including prosthetic services, are the responsibility of local integrated care boards. NHS England funded audits into primary and metastatic breast cancer to help identify and reduce inequalities and variations in care. Using routine data collected on patients diagnosed with breast cancer in an NHS setting, the audits bring together information to look at what is being done well, where it is being done well, and what needs to be done better. Findings were published in September 2025, and the NHS is acting on the findings.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans his Department has to bring almshouse residents’ rights in line with tenants' rights.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The legal position of almshouse residents is that they occupy their homes under a licence rather than a tenancy. The government has no current plans to change this.
Almshouse residents have protections under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977.
Where almshouses are registered with the Regulator of Social Housing, they must also deliver the outcomes set out in the regulator's standards. The Tenancy Standard, which can be found on gov.uk here, compels Private Registered Providers to offer tenancies or terms of occupation which are compatible with the purpose of the accommodation, the needs of individual households, the sustainability of the community, and the efficient use of their housing stock.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list (a) Royal Navy and (b) Royal Fleet Auxiliary (i) expenditure and (ii) other commitments to international humanitarian aid and disaster relief operations in each year since 2015-16.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
It will take time to collate the information requested. To ensure I can be as accurate as possible, I will write to the hon. Member with the detail requested and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions the has had with the Royal Navy on the role of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary in the humanitarian aid and disaster relief operation in the Caribbean in the wake of Hurricane Melissa.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
There have been no discussions on the role of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary in support of humanitarian aid and disaster relief operations in the Caribbean in the wake of Hurricane Melissa. The Ministry of Defence’s support to the region during the Hurricane season, Operation VENTUS, is, in the first instance, delivered through the presence of a Royal Navy ship with an embarked crisis response troop. HMS TRENT is currently serving this role and can provide an immediate response and, crucially, set the conditions for further recovery operations.
The Royal Navy, alongside FCDO colleagues, has delivered humanitarian aid and disaster relief in the Caribbean following Hurricane Melissa. This supported the deployment of Operational Liaison and Reconnaissance Teams to Jamaica and the Turks and Caicos Islands. HMS TRENT supported both locations with the ship’s crew and crisis response troop also deployed ashore in Falmouth, Jamaica to clear debris and conduct engineering repairs to restore critical infrastructure ahead of the arrival of other agencies.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what demographic data his Department considered when choosing blood donation centres to pilot the post donation testing for advanced Hb assessment.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
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.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which blood donation centres have begun a trial of the Post Donation Testing for advanced Hb assessments.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
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.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to implement the recommendations on council tax in the consultation entitled Modernising and improving the administration of council tax, published on 20 June 2025.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
We are currently considering all responses to the consultation. The Government will publish its response to the consultation in due course.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made representations to her US counterpart on the imposition of visa restrictions on officials of third countries who cooperate with Cuba in the provision of medical services.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 6 November to Question 87175.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on potential scientific exchange programmes with Cuba on (a) maternal health and (b) sickle cell disease.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK-Cuba Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement (PDCA) was signed under the previous Government. We are currently undertaking a cross-Government consultation before it is laid before Parliament for scrutiny, while continuing to cooperate positively with Cuba in the interim where possible, including on climate. The PDCA will support discussion on issues of common interest and will include human rights as a standing agenda item. It also offers the potential to facilitate exchanges of expertise, including on economic reform and healthcare.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
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 (a) economic and (b) diplomatic merits of ratifying the UK–Cuba Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK-Cuba Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement (PDCA) was signed under the previous Government. We are currently undertaking a cross-Government consultation before it is laid before Parliament for scrutiny, while continuing to cooperate positively with Cuba in the interim where possible, including on climate. The PDCA will support discussion on issues of common interest and will include human rights as a standing agenda item. It also offers the potential to facilitate exchanges of expertise, including on economic reform and healthcare.