Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department has issued to NHS mental health providers on continuity of care when therapists leave posts or are absent for extended periods.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England has not produced specific guidance to National Health Service mental health providers on the continuity of care when therapists leave posts or are absent for extended periods, as maximising continuity of care is an important principle that is included in NHS England’s guidance to mental health services.
Staff turnover and absence are normal and unavoidable for all employers. Providers would be expected to minimise any impact on service users in such circumstances.
As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, the Government is committed to making the NHS the best place to work, by supporting and retaining our hardworking and dedicated healthcare professionals. We will also publish a 10 year workforce plan later this year to ensure the NHS has the right people in the right places to care for patients when they need it.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the salary of the DHSC Permanent Secretary was approved by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The salary for the DHSC Permanent Secretary was approved as per the rules outlined in the senior pay guidance.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant of 17 March 2026, to Question 118785, on Palantir, for what reason no formal record of the meeting was produced.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The visit was part of the Prime Minister's trip to Washington. During this visit the Prime Minister listened to a short presentation about Palantir’s work, followed by a tour of the premises and an introduction to members of staff.
Any contracts for any firm go through the usual rigorous departmental processes and their decision makers.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average waiting time is for patients referred for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Exposure and Response Prevention therapy for OCD within NHS mental health services in England.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
In England, people with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) are supported through NHS Talking Therapies, which provide National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommended psychological treatments, including cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
For the most recent published data, in February 2026, the average waiting time from referral to first treatment for referrals where CBT was the first treatment was 28.2 days. In that month, 10,502 referrals began a course of CBT.
The recommended psychological treatment for OCD is CBT with Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). However, current national data does not distinguish between CBT delivered with ERP and CBT delivered without ERP. It is therefore not possible to report separate waiting times specifically for ERP.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients were referred to specialist OCD treatment centres commissioned by NHS England in each of the last five years.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether Senior Civil Servants who underperform against Ministerially set KPIs but subsequently win another Senior Civil Service role through fair and open competition will be permitted to take up that appointment.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
It has not proved possible to respond to the Hon Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the letter dated 10 September 2025 from the Strategy Directorate at the Department for Energy Strategy and Net Zero, dated 10 September 2025 and deposited in the House of Commons Library on 13 March 2026, if he will provide the equivalent information on domestic flights for each Minister from September 2025.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the policy paper entitled UK–China memorandum of understanding, 2025, published on 27 February 2026, for what reason the agreement signed in March 2025 was published in February 2026.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
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 improve access to specialist treatment for people with severe Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) within community mental health services.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2026 to Question 108241 on Mission Boards, which (a) internal and (b) external members attended the most recent meeting of the Break Down Barriers to Opportunity Mission Board.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.