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, 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:
NHS Supply Chain is on this list and is the main supplier of goods and services into the NHS.
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, 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:
NHS Supply Chain is on this list and is the main supplier of goods and services into the NHS.
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 steps her Department is taking to ensure that funding for programmes supporting women’s and girls’ rights, education, and health is maintained in the current and future aid budgets.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK continues to place women and girls at the heart of our international work, including playing a key role in the global effort to tackle violence against women and girls. We are also continuing to support countries to build resilient and sustainable health systems, and partner with governments to strengthen their own education systems. Detailed decisions on how the ODA budget will be used from 2026/27 to 2028/29 will be announced 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 her Department plans to increase support for women and girls in conflict-affected and climate-vulnerable regions.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK continues to place women and girls at the heart of our international work, including playing a key role in the global effort to tackle violence against women and girls. We are also continuing to support countries to build resilient and sustainable health systems, and partner with governments to strengthen their own education systems. Detailed decisions on how the ODA budget will be used from 2026/27 to 2028/29 will be announced 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, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of holding discussions with financial institutions on reparatory (a) funds and (b) initiatives relating to the transatlantic slave trade.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 10 March 2025 to Question 32987.
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 recent discussions her Department has had with international bodies, including the United Nations, on the issue of reparations for historical injustices.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 10 March 2025 to Question 32987.
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 her Department has made of the role of UK aid in supporting economic and social initiatives aimed at addressing the legacy of colonial exploitation and enslavement.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 10 March 2025 to Question 32987.
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 recent discussions her Department has had with CARICOM member states regarding the ten-point reparations plan put forward by the CARICOM Reparations Commission.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 10 March 2025 to Question 32987.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions her Department has had with international partners on the potential merits of linking debt cancellation to climate adaptation funding for countries facing both high debt burdens and climate-related disasters.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The UK government is focused on delivering an international financial system that better finances development needs, reduces debt vulnerabilities, and supports relevant countries to be more resilient to shocks, including those caused by climate change and nature loss.
We are working with all our partners to tackle unsustainable debt and ensure all countries can invest and grow. I am co-chairing the 'London Coalition on Sustainable Sovereign Debt', launched in June to work with private creditors on sovereign debt issues, and at the UN Fourth Conference on Financing for Development, the UK co-led the launch of the Debt Pause Clause Alliance. We continue to drive progress in the G20 on strengthening and accelerating debt restructurings via the G20 Common Framework.
The UK government is committed to playing our part alongside other developed countries and providers to deliver our international climate finance commitments, including through our shareholdings at the Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs), the largest providers of public climate finance. We are also pushing for new sources of funding such as agreement on the International Maritime Organisation's Net Zero Framework alongside efforts to mobilise more private capital.
In line with the UK's commitment to the OECD's sustainable lending practices, the UK government considers debt sustainability when providing financing, particularly in cases of lending to countries deemed at high risk of debt distress. In such cases, the UK only supports projects in line with limits set by the IMF and World Bank. We also follow best practice under the G20 Official Guidelines on Sustainable Finance, including strong commitments to debt transparency, and recently published our own self-assessment against these guidelines.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of debt servicing on the ability of low-income countries to fund public services and climate adaptation; and what steps she is taking to support international debt cancellation initiatives.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The UK government is focused on delivering an international financial system that better finances development needs, reduces debt vulnerabilities, and supports relevant countries to be more resilient to shocks, including those caused by climate change and nature loss.
We are working with all our partners to tackle unsustainable debt and ensure all countries can invest and grow. I am co-chairing the 'London Coalition on Sustainable Sovereign Debt', launched in June to work with private creditors on sovereign debt issues, and at the UN Fourth Conference on Financing for Development, the UK co-led the launch of the Debt Pause Clause Alliance. We continue to drive progress in the G20 on strengthening and accelerating debt restructurings via the G20 Common Framework.
The UK government is committed to playing our part alongside other developed countries and providers to deliver our international climate finance commitments, including through our shareholdings at the Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs), the largest providers of public climate finance. We are also pushing for new sources of funding such as agreement on the International Maritime Organisation's Net Zero Framework alongside efforts to mobilise more private capital.
In line with the UK's commitment to the OECD's sustainable lending practices, the UK government considers debt sustainability when providing financing, particularly in cases of lending to countries deemed at high risk of debt distress. In such cases, the UK only supports projects in line with limits set by the IMF and World Bank. We also follow best practice under the G20 Official Guidelines on Sustainable Finance, including strong commitments to debt transparency, and recently published our own self-assessment against these guidelines.