Ben Coleman
Labour - Chelsea and Fulham
152 (0.3%) majority - 2024 General ElectionFirst elected: 4th July 2024
2 APPG Officer Positions (as of 23 Feb 2026)
Black Health, Czechia7 APPG Memberships
Adult Social Care, Autism, Beyond Pills, Fairtrade, Social Science and Policy, Waterways, MaternityDivision Voting information
Debates during the 2024 Parliament
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
Sparring Partners
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Health and Social Care)
(7 debate interactions)
Department Debates
(44 debate contributions)
(27 debate contributions)
(14 debate contributions)
(10 debate contributions)
Legislation Debates
(907 words contributed)
(332 words contributed)
(191 words contributed)
(160 words contributed)
Chelsea and Fulham Petitions
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
of 83,009 signatures (1.14%)
of 23,294 signatures (0.61%)
of 146,548 signatures (0.49%)
of 122,009 signatures (0.33%)
of 83,453 signatures (0.32%)
of 83,009 signatures (1.14%)
of 146,548 signatures (0.49%)
of 715,702 signatures (0.09%)
of 122,009 signatures (0.33%)
of 83,453 signatures (0.32%)
Petition Closed
Retain legal right to assessment and support in education for children with SEND
Gov Responded - 5 Aug 2025 Debated on - 15 Sep 2025 View Ben Coleman's petition debate contributionsclosed 4 months, 2 weeks ago
Support in education is a vital legal right of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). We ask the government to commit to maintaining the existing law, so that vulnerable children with SEND can access education and achieve their potential.
Petition Closed
Keep 5-year ILR terms to Hong Kong British National (Overseas) visas
Gov Responded - 11 Jul 2025 Debated on - 8 Sep 2025 View Ben Coleman's petition debate contributionsclosed 2 months ago
We urge the Government to exempt BN(O) visa for Hongkongers from the proposed immigration reforms. We think the current ILR terms must remain unchanged:
1. Five years of UK residency
2. B1 level English proficiency
3. Passing the Life in the UK Test
Petition Closed
Keep the 5-Year ILR pathway for existing Skilled Worker visa holders
Gov Responded - 17 Jun 2025 Debated on - 8 Sep 2025 View Ben Coleman's petition debate contributionsclosed 3 months ago
Do not apply the proposed 10-year ILR rule to existing Skilled Worker visa holders. Keep the 5-year ILR route for those already in the UK on this visa. Apply any changes only to new applicants from the date of implementation.
Petition Closed
Apply for the UK to join the European Union as a full member as soon as possible
Gov Responded - 19 Nov 2024 Debated on - 24 Mar 2025 View Ben Coleman's petition debate contributionsclosed 9 months, 4 weeks ago
I believe joining the EU would boost the economy, increase global influence, improve collaboration and provide stability & freedom. I believe that Brexit hasn't brought any tangible benefit and there is no future prospect of any, that the UK has changed its mind and that this should be recognised.
Petition Closed
Call a General Election
Gov Responded - 6 Dec 2024 Debated on - 6 Jan 2025 View Ben Coleman's petition debate contributionsclosed 9 months, 1 week ago
I would like there to be another General Election.
I believe the current Labour Government have gone back on the promises they laid out in the lead up to the last election.
Latest EDMs signed by Ben Coleman
Football ticket prices
Tabled by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Blyth and Ashington)That this House notes that despite the cost of living crisis and football clubs earning ever more income from broadcast and commercial income, 19 out of 20 Premier League clubs increased ticket prices this season; further notes that many clubs are abolishing or reducing concessionary tickets, both penalising loyal senior …
(Most recent: 18 Nov 2024)
Signatures by party:
Labour: 18
Green Party: 4
Independent: 2
Democratic Unionist Party: 1
Liberal Democrat: 1
Commons initiatives
These initiatives were driven by Ben Coleman, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Ben Coleman has not been granted any Urgent Questions
Ben Coleman has not been granted any Adjournment Debates
Ben Coleman has not introduced any legislation before Parliament
2 Bills co-sponsored by Ben Coleman
Public Body Ethnicity Data (Inclusion of Jewish and Sikh Categories) Bill 2024-26
Sponsor - Preet Kaur Gill (LAB)
Water Safety Bill 2024-26
Sponsor - Lee Pitcher (Lab)
Latest 50 Written Questions
(View all written questions)The Invest 2035: Industrial Strategy Green Paper sets out our vision for a credible, 10-year plan to deliver the certainty and stability businesses need to invest in the high-growth sectors that will drive our growth mission.
The Industrial Strategy Green Paper demonstrates our ambition to support businesses in using data more effectively, including exploring interventions that will: improve the use of public sector data (as a driver of growth); better empower individuals and businesses with their data through the development of Smart Data schemes; and help improve data maturity in businesses. The consultation is open until 24 November 2024.
Minister of State (Home Office)
The Industrial Strategy Council (ISC) will be responsible for informing and monitoring the development and delivery of the long-term industrial strategy, ensuring that policy interventions are based on a high-quality evidence base. The ISC will recommend actions, focusing on growth-driving sectors and the pro-business environment. It will also evaluate impacts. Use of effective data is central to the ISC’s role.
The government will legislate to establish this statutory body in due course. Ahead of legislation, we are introducing an interim Industrial Strategy Advisory Council to ensure the Industrial Strategy is developed with independent expert advice.
Minister of State (Home Office)
It is not permitted to advertise prescription-only medicines such as anabolic steroids. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is responsible for regulating and investigating advertising in the UK, including online.
Additionally, the Online Safety Act requires all services in scope to take proactive steps to stop their services facilitating illegal sales of drugs. Beyond illegal sale of drugs, platforms also need to protect children from harmful content that encourages ingestion, inhalation or exposure to harmful substances.
Where substances are controlled drugs then the offences under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 would apply, including offences of supply and possession where relevant.
The Online Safety Act gives social media platforms new duties to protect their users from harmful content and activity. These include extensive duties to protect users from content which stirs up or incites hatred. It also includes duties to protect users from illegal state-backed interference and disinformation. Ofcom is the new regulator for this regime. It will have strong enforcement powers where platforms fail to comply with their duties. This includes powers to impose substantial fines and business disruption measures and also, in certain circumstances, hold senior managers criminally liable.
The latest accredited official statistics release entitled ‘Funded early education and childcare’ for January 2025 was published on 17 July 2025. A minor correction was made on 31 July, as noted on the publication page.
Dataset 3 in this release shows national, regional and local authority level information on the number of children registered for funded early years provision according to whether the child was in receipt of the early years pupil premium. Dataset 3 is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/funded-early-education-and-childcare.
Of all 3 and 4 year-olds who are registered for the universal entitlement, one third of those are in state-funded reception classes. Therefore, dataset 3 also includes figures for these children on free school meal eligibility.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The department expects to spend over £8 billion on early years entitlements in 2025/26, distributed through the early years national funding formulae (EYNFF), based on hourly funding rates for each local authority. The EYNFF reflects the relative needs of the children and costs of delivering provision in that area and includes additional needs factors that account for 10.5% of entitlement funding.
Eligible children also attract early years pupil premium (EYPP), to improve the educational outcomes of socio-economically disadvantaged children. We are delivering the largest ever uplift to the EYPP this year, increasing the rate by over 45% from 68p per hour in 2024/25 to £1 in 2025/26, so the EYPP is equivalent to up to £570 per eligible child per year.
Local authorities are responsible for funding providers in their area using their own local funding formula. These local formulae must include a deprivation supplement for 3 and 4-year-olds.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The department expects to spend over £8 billion on early years entitlements in 2025/26, distributed through the early years national funding formulae (EYNFF), based on hourly funding rates for each local authority. The EYNFF reflects the relative needs of the children and costs of delivering provision in that area and includes additional needs factors that account for 10.5% of entitlement funding.
Eligible children also attract early years pupil premium (EYPP), to improve the educational outcomes of socio-economically disadvantaged children. We are delivering the largest ever uplift to the EYPP this year, increasing the rate by over 45% from 68p per hour in 2024/25 to £1 in 2025/26, so the EYPP is equivalent to up to £570 per eligible child per year.
Local authorities are responsible for funding providers in their area using their own local funding formula. These local formulae must include a deprivation supplement for 3 and 4-year-olds.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The department is committed to giving every child the best possible start in life. Good nutrition in the early years is essential for children’s health and long-term development, which is why we recently introduced new nutrition guidance in the early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework.
The new guidance, developed in collaboration with nutrition experts and sector representatives, will help early years providers understand how to meet the existing EYFS requirements.
Pupils attending a local authority, maintained, academy or free school nursery are entitled to free school meals (FSM), as long as they are either in full-time education or receive education both before and after lunch and meet the benefits-based FSM eligibility criteria.
From September 2026, the department will extend FSM to all children in households receiving Universal Credit, including those in state-funded school-based nurseries and maintained nursery schools.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The department is committed to giving every child the best start in life through high-quality early years education.
We are investing in programmes that support children’s development where it is needed most, including online child development training, more national professional qualification places, and new professional development for educators and leaders.
Stronger Practice Hubs will double from 18 to 36, expanding access to evidence-based training and resources. Early years initial teacher training places are increasing, alongside a new degree apprenticeship route, with incentives to attract and retain teachers in under-served communities.
The department is funding 1,000 level 3 special educational needs coordinators this year and investing £3.4 million in the Early Language Support for Every Child programme. Early maths and language leads will offer hands-on support, ensuring all children, regardless of background, benefit from high-quality early education.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The government is committed to spreading opportunities and economic growth with the support of a strong skills system.
This government has an extremely challenging fiscal inheritance. There are tough choices that need to be taken on how funding should be prioritised in order to generate opportunities for young people that enable them to make a start in good, fulfilling careers. The government will therefore be asking more employers to step forward and fund a significant number of level 7 apprenticeships themselves. The department is taking advice from Skills England, who engaged with employers over the autumn, and the department expects to make a final decision on affected apprenticeships, including the pending level 7 apprenticeship in sensory impairment, shortly.
This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.
The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education has developed a Sensory Impairment apprenticeship. The apprenticeship is expected to be available from September 2025 and will open up a paid, work-based route into teaching children and young people with sensory impairments. This will improve the supply of those qualified to teach this important cohort and further help to improve their outcomes.
It is also important that early years practitioners are able to identify and support children with SEND, including children with hearing impairment and deafness. The department wants deaf children to be able to thrive in their early years, which might sometimes mean that settings access specialist teachers for the deaf.
The Early Years Foundation Stage statutory framework sets the standards and requirements that all early years providers must follow to ensure every child has the best start in life, including those with SEND. It stipulates that providers must have arrangements in place to support children with SEND. Maintained schools, maintained nursery schools and all providers who are funded by the local authority to deliver early education places must have regard for the SEND Code of Practice.
In November, the department published the updated early years foundation stage profile handbook, which includes a change to allow a child’s established or preferred mode of communication (including British Sign Language) to be used for all of the early learning goals, including speaking. The handbook can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-profile-handbook.
The Child Poverty Taskforce, of which my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education is co-chair, is building on the wealth of existing evidence and expertise across the UK to develop an ambitious strategy to reduce child poverty. We are listening carefully to the voices of children and families living in poverty, including children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Examples of the engagement we have undertaken are events with Contact, a charity for families with disabled children, ALLFIE, a campaign group focused on including disabled learners in mainstream education, and the Challenging Behaviour Foundation, which aims to improve opportunities for young people with severe learning disabilities and their families.
The Taskforce recognises that poverty impacts the whole family so, alongside this, a forum of parents and carers has been brought together to input to the strategy. The approach has been designed to be inclusive and capture the experiences of a broad range of parents, carers and children, including those with SEND.
The Child Poverty Taskforce, of which my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education is co-chair, is building on the wealth of existing evidence and expertise across the UK to develop an ambitious strategy to reduce child poverty. We are listening carefully to the voices of children and families living in poverty, including children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Examples of the engagement we have undertaken are events with Contact, a charity for families with disabled children, ALLFIE, a campaign group focused on including disabled learners in mainstream education, and the Challenging Behaviour Foundation, which aims to improve opportunities for young people with severe learning disabilities and their families.
The Taskforce recognises that poverty impacts the whole family so, alongside this, a forum of parents and carers has been brought together to input to the strategy. The approach has been designed to be inclusive and capture the experiences of a broad range of parents, carers and children, including those with SEND.
6 Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Questions
(View all Ben Coleman's Defra questions)The Environment Agency does not register landowners in London as riparian owners. A landowner’s responsibility for a tidal flood defence arises under the Metropolis Management (Thames River Prevention of Floods) Amendment Act 1879, which requires flood defences to be created and maintained to a defined height (relative to ordnance datum) in order to protect London from flooding and inundations caused by overflows from the River Thames.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency does not register landowners in London as riparian owners. A landowner’s responsibility for a tidal flood defence arises under the Metropolis Management (Thames River Prevention of Floods) Amendment Act 1879, which requires flood defences to be created and maintained to a defined height (relative to ordnance datum) in order to protect London from flooding and inundations caused by overflows from the River Thames.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK Food Security Report (published on GOV.UK in December 2024) reported that 31% of households with children under 16 are reported to be food insecure. The food strategy will support access to affordable food, target costs that lead to food price inflation and include measures to increase access to affordable, nutritious food in deprived communities. This will support those who most need access to healthy, affordable nutrition or may cut back on food in face of other pressures.
This is alongside wider Government work, such as the Child Poverty Strategy, published in December, which sets out a decade-long mission to tackle the drivers of child poverty across the UK.
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Good Food Cycle identifies for the first time the outcomes wanted from the food system. It is the first part of an on-going programme to create a healthier, more affordable, sustainable and resilient food system. The Government is developing plans to support food strategy outcomes. It is too early to confirm any mechanisms for delivery, monitoring and reporting.
The food strategy will support access to affordable food and include measures to increase access to affordable, nutritious food in deprived communities, and aim to make more of the food that is available to buy healthier, more nutritious and more affordable.
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Addressing the issues the food sector faces requires a whole-of-government effort, so while Defra is leading the strategy we will be working in very close collaboration with several government departments. Our ambitious food strategy will set and deliver clear long-term outcomes that create a healthier, fairer, and more resilient food system. We will provide details of how the process will operate, how industry can engage, and what the milestones will be in the coming months.
Under Port of London Authority legislation, the Secretary of State for Transport appoints the Chair and one to three non‑executive directors, typically for terms of up to three years, with reappointment possible subject to performance and need.
Appointments follow the Governance Code on Public Appointments https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/governance-code-for-public-appointments through an open, fair, and transparent process managed by the Department for Transport (DfT). Vacancies are advertised on the Cabinet Office Public Appointments website with a timetable, role description, and person specification. Candidates apply via the portal and are assessed by a panel against published criteria. The panel recommends to Ministers who make the final decision. This process ensures merit-based appointments, and compliance with Ports Good Governance Guidance https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/good-governance-guidance-for-ports .
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department does not hold data on the number of Access to Work applications allocated for assessment for people identified as living with (a) a form of arthritis or (b) a musculoskeletal condition. While the health condition is recorded on the customer’s record to ensure appropriate support is awarded this information is not collated for reporting purposes. Determining these figures would require a manual review of individual applications, which would incur a disproportionate cost.
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department for Work and Pensions is committed to ensuring that the migration to Universal Credit works as smoothly as possible for all individuals, including those with disabilities. We recognise that some claimants may require additional support to make and maintain their claim, and we provide a range of reasonable adjustments and tailored support in line with the Equality Act 2010.
Migration notices are issued in the appropriate format to meet any accessibility needs recorded for the customer on the legacy benefit system, such as braille, large print, British Sign Language (BSL), or email. Once a Universal Credit claim is made, customers can update their accessibility preferences directly through their online account.
For those who require additional support, the Department offers an Enhanced Support Journey to ensure legacy benefits do not end before a UC claim is completed. This includes proactive contact and, where necessary, home visits. Alternative channels are also available for claimants unable to use the online service, including telephone claims, face-to-face support in Jobcentres, and Video Relay Services for BSL users. Broader support needs—such as cognitive impairments or safeguarding requirements—are recorded and made visible to Work Coaches, Case Managers, and Visiting Officers to ensure tailored assistance throughout the migration process.
We also fund the Help to Claim service, delivered by Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland, which provides independent, practical support from the point of application through to the first correct payment. Where a claimant cannot manage their own claim, they can give explicit consent for Universal Credit to speak with a third party or appoint an appointee to formally manage the claim.
These measures form part of our broader commitment to equality and inclusion, ensuring that no one is disadvantaged in accessing the support they are entitled to.
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department for Work and Pensions is committed to ensuring that the transition to Universal Credit works as smoothly and safely as possible for all individuals, including for disabled people.
Customers moving from DWP legacy benefits or Housing Benefit continue to receive their legacy benefits for two weeks following their move to Universal Credit to smooth the transition from fortnightly to monthly payments. Customers who under Universal Credit are entitled to a lower amount of benefit will have their current cash award transitionally protected at the higher award.
To support customers to make a claim to Universal Credit, we have put in place additional support arrangements for customers that face additional challenges. This includes:
- An enhanced Support Journey for vulnerable customers who require more help, such as those moving from Employment and Support Allowance. This approach involves proactive contact, additional time to make their claim to Universal Credit, and home visits where necessary.
- Multiple support channels, including a dedicated Move to UC helpline, face-to-face assistance in Jobcentres, and independent support through Citizens Advice’s Help to Claim service.
- Accessibility measures, such as telephone claims for those unable to claim online, Video Relay Services for British Sign Language users, and alternative communication formats are also available.
- Safeguarding and specialist support, with over 150 Complex Case Coaches providing personalised assistance and working closely with local safeguarding teams where the person is particularly vulnerable.
- Reasonable adjustments, including extended deadlines and appointee arrangements for claimants unable to manage their own affairs.
These measures are part of our broader commitment to equality and inclusion, ensuring that no one is disadvantaged in accessing the support they are entitled to.
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department for Work and Pensions is committed to ensuring that the transition to Universal Credit works as smoothly and safely as possible for all individuals, including for disabled people.
Customers moving from DWP legacy benefits or Housing Benefit continue to receive their legacy benefits for two weeks following their move to Universal Credit to smooth the transition from fortnightly to monthly payments. Customers who under Universal Credit are entitled to a lower amount of benefit will have their current cash award transitionally protected at the higher award.
To support customers to make a claim to Universal Credit, we have put in place additional support arrangements for customers that face additional challenges. This includes:
- An enhanced Support Journey for vulnerable customers who require more help, such as those moving from Employment and Support Allowance. This approach involves proactive contact, additional time to make their claim to Universal Credit, and home visits where necessary.
- Multiple support channels, including a dedicated Move to UC helpline, face-to-face assistance in Jobcentres, and independent support through Citizens Advice’s Help to Claim service.
- Accessibility measures, such as telephone claims for those unable to claim online, Video Relay Services for British Sign Language users, and alternative communication formats are also available.
- Safeguarding and specialist support, with over 150 Complex Case Coaches providing personalised assistance and working closely with local safeguarding teams where the person is particularly vulnerable.
- Reasonable adjustments, including extended deadlines and appointee arrangements for claimants unable to manage their own affairs.
These measures are part of our broader commitment to equality and inclusion, ensuring that no one is disadvantaged in accessing the support they are entitled to.
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department is working to ensure the new Jobs and Careers Service is delivered on schedule. The Department continues to engage with stakeholders and will communicate changes in a timely manner.
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department for Work and Pensions is committed to reforming the Jobs and Careers Service to better support jobseekers and employers. The Department continues to monitor market innovations and will leverage the right technology, including AI, to deliver improved outcomes for citizens. Use of AI would be subject to rigorous assessment, procurement in line with government regulations, and alignment with the Department’s responsible AI framework.
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The full contract for running the Find a job and Disability Confident services includes exit fees, and is available online at: Find a Job Service extension - Find a Tender - GOV.UK
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department does not hold data on the number of individuals living with (a) a form of arthritis or (b) a musculoskeletal condition who are currently awaiting a decision on their Access to Work claim. Health conditions are only identified once an application has been allocated for assessment.
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We are continuing to streamline delivery practices and have increased the number of staff processing claims. Since May 2024, 118 additional staff have been redeployed to support Access to Work. We also prioritise customers starting a job in four weeks. We are reviewing all aspects of Access to Work as we develop plans for reform following the conclusion of the consultation.
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
As part of the application process for Access to Work, we encourage individuals to provide as much information about their circumstances as possible, to help us understand how best to offer support which is tailored to their needs.
There is a variety of accessible contact methods which customers can utilise when making applications. These include telephone, textphone, Video Relay Service and email as a reasonable adjustment. Where a customer would like to use email to contact the department as a reasonable adjustment, they should let the Access to Work team know so the Case Manager can follow the appropriate procedure to ensure we can try to accommodate the request. Details can be found at Access to Work: factsheet for customers - GOV.UK
We will be reviewing all aspects of the Scheme now that the consultation has closed.
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
For the last year, we have worked to improve decision-making throughout the Scheme by ensuring that guidance is applied with greater consistency, helping to provide a fairer process.
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
There is support through the social security system for low-income households living in the social rented sector which is paid through either the housing element of Universal Credit or through Housing Benefit. The level of housing support received is based on the full eligible rent the tenant pays, unless the benefit cap or the removal of the spare room subsidy (RSRS) apply.
There is further support available for people entitled to Housing Benefit or Universal Credit who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs. They can apply to their local authority for Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs).
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
All DWP new entrant work coaches and case managers receive job role specific technical learning, which covers backdating. As changes of circumstances are notified, the Universal Credit system calculates many payments due automatically. Case Managers are supported by coaching and quality assurance.
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Poverty Taskforce, of which the Department of Education Secretary of State is Co-Chair, is building on the wealth of existing evidence and expertise across the UK to develop an ambitious strategy to reduce child poverty. We are listening carefully to the voices of children with disabilities and special educational needs (SEND) who live in poverty, as well as the charities and organisations that represent them. Examples of the engagement we’ve undertaken are events with: Contact, a charity for families with disabled children; ALLFIE, a campaign group focused on including disabled learners in mainstream education; and the Challenging Behaviour Foundation that aims to improve the life opportunities for young people with severe learning disabilities and their families.
The Taskforce recognises that poverty impacts the whole family so, alongside this, a forum of parents and carers has been brought together to input to the Strategy. The approach has been designed to be inclusive and capture the experiences of a broad range of parents, carers and children, including those with special educational needs and disabilities.
Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Child Poverty Taskforce, of which the Department of Education Secretary of State is Co-Chair, is building on the wealth of existing evidence and expertise across the UK to develop an ambitious strategy to reduce child poverty. We are listening carefully to the voices of children with disabilities and special educational needs (SEND) who live in poverty, as well as the charities and organisations that represent them. Examples of the engagement we’ve undertaken are events with: Contact, a charity for families with disabled children; ALLFIE, a campaign group focused on including disabled learners in mainstream education; and the Challenging Behaviour Foundation that aims to improve the life opportunities for young people with severe learning disabilities and their families.
The Taskforce recognises that poverty impacts the whole family so, alongside this, a forum of parents and carers has been brought together to input to the Strategy. The approach has been designed to be inclusive and capture the experiences of a broad range of parents, carers and children, including those with special educational needs and disabilities.
Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The DWP pays close attention to the evidence base on the extra costs faced by disabled children, including external academic research but does not endorse a particular external study.
For example, Scope’s Disability Price Tag (2023) uses a sensitive economic modelling methodology called the standard of living approach. They state that a family with a disabled child would have to pay £581 a month to have the same standard of living as a family with a non-disabled child. For 1 in 5 families, these costs can exceed £1000 per month. The existing evidence base that uses similar methodologies produce a wide range of estimates of this cost, ranging from £600 to £1,500 per month, reflecting a high degree of uncertainty around the true additional costs faced by families raising a disabled child.
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Children and young people’s hospices and integrated care boards will be informed of their children and young people’s hospice grant allocations for 2026/27 imminently. Communication regarding future allocations, for 2027/28 and 2028/29, will be sent once the 2026/27 process is complete.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We have invested £160 million into the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme to support the recruitment of over 2,000 individual general practitioners (GPs) into primary care networks across England, helping to increase appointment availability and improve care for thousands of patients. The new £102 million Primary Care Utilisation and Modernisation Fund will also create additional clinical space within over 1,000 practices across England. This investment will deliver more appointments and improve patient care.
Last year, we invested an additional £1.1 billion in GPs to reinforce the front door of the National Health Service, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.4 billion in 2025/26. This is the biggest increase in over a decade.
As a result, we have successfully delivered an additional 6.8 million GP appointments for patients compared to the same period last year, meaning more patients are getting the support they need, when they need it. Between November and December 2025, the number of online consultations fell by approximately 175,000, despite contract changes introduced in October 2025 to align online consultation hours with telephone and reception access.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
General practices (GPs) are independent businesses contracted by the National Health Service to deliver essential services, and as part of these contracts they are required to provide modern telephony systems and online consultation tools. In the 2025 contract negotiations with the General Practitioners Committee England, agreement was reached to ensure online, telephone, and reception access is available throughout core hours. To support safe implementation, this was deferred to 1 October 2025, with support available from NHS England and the integrated care boards for practices that need help meeting the requirement. These changes build on several years of work to modernise GPs and improve access.
Online consultation systems already require practices to triage clinical need, so extending access to core hours does not change how urgent and non‑urgent queries are managed, it simply gives patients more choice in how they contact their practice and helps ensure urgent issues are identified quickly while non‑urgent requests are handled appropriately.
Practices already using online systems have seen significant improvements. One London GP surgery reduced waits from 14 days to just three, with 95% of patients seen within a week.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No formal assessment has been undertaken of the impact that mandating extended use of online consultations will have on the availability of face‑to‑face appointments.
Between November and December 2025, the number of online consultations fell by approximately 175,000, despite contract changes introduced in October 2025 to align online consultation hours with telephone and reception access. Over the same period, the proportion of appointments delivered face‑to‑face has remained stable. In December 2025, 61.5% of all appointments were conducted in person with a healthcare professional, a decrease of 2.5% compared with December 2024.
Practices already using online systems have seen significant improvements. One London general practice surgery reduced waits from 14 days to just three, with 95% of patients seen within a week.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England commissions prison health care services into every prison in England. Every prison has onsite health care services including, primary care, mental health, dentistry, and substance misuse teams. This includes the care and management of those with long term conditions such as diabetes. All prisons offer a range of appointments to meet the needs of patients, and this includes routine appointments and urgent appointments.
NHS England commissions health care in prison that is the equivalence of community health care. The National Service Specification for primary care defines what this means for patients who require support. Access to health provision is available to every person in prison at any stage of their sentence, and this begins at the point of entry. NHS England also commissions health needs assessments across prisons to determine the needs and requirements of the prison population.
NHS England is reviewing the National Primary Care Service Specification to ensure it continues to meet the needs of the prison population.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has held no discussions with National Health Service trusts and clinical directors on surgical trainees’ access to operating theatres.
It is the responsibility of individual employers to ensure their staff have appropriate access to ongoing training and professional development to provide safe and effective care.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is committed to furthering investment in research into the causes and treatment of brain tumours. Between 2018/19 and 2023/24, the Department’s research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), invested £11.8 million, and United Kingdom Research and Innovation invested £46.8 million in this area.
In September 2024, the NIHR launched a package of support to deliver a step-change in brain cancer research through:
- establishing a national NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium to bring together researchers from different disciplines to drive scientific advancements in how to prevent, detect, manage and treat brain tumours;
- a dedicated funding call for research into care, support and rehabilitation for people living with brain tumours; and
- the Allied Health Professionals Brain Tumour Research Fellowship programme, a partnership with the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission.
The Department does not hold specific data on the number of children living with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) each year. The National Disease Registration Service (NDRS) collects diagnosis, treatment and outcome data on cancer patients in England. The most recent published data on registrations of cancer including cancer incidence and mortality in the Accredited Official Statistics on Cancer Registrations covering 2023 is available at the following link:
https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/cancer-registration-statistics
DIPG is not currently one of the cancer groups routinely published against, however work will be undertaken by the NDRS to understand whether there are any improvements needed in registration to accurately identify DIPG moving forwards.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The list of specialised services currently commissioned by NHS England is available on the NHS England website, in the worksheet entitled Service Code, with column M indicating whether the service is commissioned by NHS England or an integrated care board (ICB), with the word GREEN indicating an ICB and RED indicating NHS England, at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/nhs-england-service-codes/
Further information on each of the services is available on the NHS England website via the Prescribed Specialised Services Manual, at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/PRN00115-prescribed-specialised-services-manual-v6.pdf
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
All highly specialised services are commissioned nationally by NHS England. The list of specialised services currently commissioned by NHS England is available on the NHS England website, in the worksheet entitled Service Code, with column F indicating whether the service is classified as a highly specialised, at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/nhs-england-service-codes/
Further information on each of the services is available on the NHS England website via the Prescribed Specialised Services Manual, at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/PRN00115-prescribed-specialised-services-manual-v6.pdf
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
All highly specialised services are commissioned nationally by NHS England. The list of specialised services currently commissioned by NHS England is available on the NHS England website, in the worksheet entitled Service Code, with column F indicating whether the service is classified as a highly specialised, at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/nhs-england-service-codes/
Further information on each of the services is available on the NHS England website via the Prescribed Specialised Services Manual, at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/PRN00115-prescribed-specialised-services-manual-v6.pdf
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Highly specialised services are commissioned by NHS England as part of its responsibilities for prescribed specialised services. This function is undertaken by NHS England’s national highly specialised services team which is supported by regional commissioners covering each area of the country. The responsibility for highly specialised services has not been delegated to integrated care boards as part of the programme of delegation of specialised services.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)