Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953 to include registration of the father during a registration of birth, unless reason to omit this information is given.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
There are currently no plans to change the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953 to amend the circumstances in which the father’s details may be entered on a birth registration.
The latest available data from the Office for National Statistics shows that, in 2024, over 95% of registrations included the details of both parents.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of trends in the number of children in care whose citizenship status is not resolved before turning 18.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Since 16 June 2022, when the fee‑exemption for registering looked‑after children as British citizens was introduced, the Home Office has proactively engaged with every local authority. This work has focused on informing and supporting them to understand the exemption and the full range of citizenship registration options available to children under local authority care and supporting them with bespoke communication channels for local authorities to assist on a case-by-case basis.
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 assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of trends in the level of access to NHS ear wax removal services on long-term costs to the NHS associated with avoidable hearing loss, including on a) mental health and b) falls of elderly persons.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has not made a specific assessment. Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning local National Health Servies, including ear wax removal services, and must consider how best to improve population health and achieve best value for money.
ICBs commission these services in line with the recommendations for ear wax removal as set out in guidance produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, which is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng98/chapter/Recommendations
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 steps his Department has taken to ensure that GP practices are able to provide NHS-funded ear wax removal services, particularly for patients at risk of hearing loss.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Integrated care boards (ICBs) have a statutory responsibility to commission cost-effective healthcare to meet the needs of their local population. This includes commissioning ear wax removal services in line with the recommendations for ear wax removal as set out in guidance produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng98/chapter/Recommendations
This may involve commissioning general practices (GPs) or other providers, to whom GPs may refer patients, to provide ear wax removal services.
Manual ear syringing is no longer advised by NICE due to the risks associated with it, such as trauma to their ear drum or infection, so GPs will often recommend home treatment remedies to alleviate ear wax build-up.
However, in line with the NICE’s guidance, a person may require ear wax removal treatment if the build-up of earwax is linked with hearing loss. A GP may then refer the patient into audiology services, which ICBs are responsible for commissioning.
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, whether his Department plans to (a) reinstate and (b) standardise NHS provision of ear wax removal in primary care.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Integrated care boards (ICBs) have a statutory responsibility to commission cost-effective healthcare to meet the needs of their local population. This includes commissioning ear wax removal services in line with the recommendations for ear wax removal as set out in guidance produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng98/chapter/Recommendations
This may involve commissioning general practices (GPs) or other providers, to whom GPs may refer patients, to provide ear wax removal services.
Manual ear syringing is no longer advised by NICE due to the risks associated with it, such as trauma to their ear drum or infection, so GPs will often recommend home treatment remedies to alleviate ear wax build-up.
However, in line with the NICE’s guidance, a person may require ear wax removal treatment if the build-up of earwax is linked with hearing loss. A GP may then refer the patient into audiology services, which ICBs are responsible for commissioning.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that children in care have their citizenship status resolved before turning 18.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Children seeking to register as a British citizen will have the fee waived if they are able to credibly demonstrate that they cannot afford the fee. In addition, where an application has been made by or on behalf of a child who is looked after by a Local Authority, no fee is payable and it is not necessary for the child’s financial circumstances to be evidenced.
Since 16 June 2022, when the fee exemption for registering looked after children as British citizens was introduced, the Home Office has proactively engaged with every local authority. This work has focused on informing and supporting them to understand the exemption and the full range of citizenship registration options available to children under local authority care and supporting them with bespoke communication channels for local authorities to assist on a case-by-case basis.
In addition, a person over the age of 18 who missed out on becoming a British citizen as a child may qualify for registration under section 4L of the British Nationality Act 1981 in certain circumstances. That provision can be used where an applicant can demonstrate that they would have been able to become British while a child in care.
In the Restoring control over the immigration system: white paper, which was published on 12 May 2025, we stated that consideration will be made to removing financial barriers to acquiring British citizenship for young adults who have lived their entire lives in the UK.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help ensure that children eligible for British citizenship are able to afford the application fee for citizenship.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Children seeking to register as a British citizen will have the fee waived if they are able to credibly demonstrate that they cannot afford the fee. In addition, where an application has been made by or on behalf of a child who is looked after by a Local Authority, no fee is payable and it is not necessary for the child’s financial circumstances to be evidenced.
Since 16 June 2022, when the fee exemption for registering looked after children as British citizens was introduced, the Home Office has proactively engaged with every local authority. This work has focused on informing and supporting them to understand the exemption and the full range of citizenship registration options available to children under local authority care and supporting them with bespoke communication channels for local authorities to assist on a case-by-case basis.
In addition, a person over the age of 18 who missed out on becoming a British citizen as a child may qualify for registration under section 4L of the British Nationality Act 1981 in certain circumstances. That provision can be used where an applicant can demonstrate that they would have been able to become British while a child in care.
In the Restoring control over the immigration system: white paper, which was published on 12 May 2025, we stated that consideration will be made to removing financial barriers to acquiring British citizenship for young adults who have lived their entire lives in the UK.
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 assessment he has made of the adequacy of the accessibility of other Sickle Cell Day units in the context of the closure of the Whitechapel unit.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - 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, how many sickle cell day centres have closed in the last 5 years; and how many sickle cell day centres remain operational.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - 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, for what reason the Sickle Cell day unit in Whitechapel was closed.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - 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.