Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to commission research on (a) essential tremor and (b) other neurological movement disorders.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department delivers research into neurological movement disorders via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). For example, the NIHR is funding the first James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership on essential tremor, which will bring together clinicians and families to understand the current unmet needs in the management and care of this group of patients and the challenges of living with essential tremor.

The NIHR is also funding a phase III trial, investigating the clinical and cost-effectiveness of rivastigmine patches in preventing falls for people with Parkinson’s disease. This approach is complemented by the STEPS II trial, which will determine if daily use of functional electrical stimulation improves walking speed in people with Parkinson’s disease.

Whilst there is no current funding call specifically for neurological movement disorders, the NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care and topics proposals can be submitted via the NIHR website at the following link:

https://www.nihr.ac.uk/get-involved/suggest-a-research-topic

These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality. Welcoming applications on neurological movement disorders to all NIHR programmes enables maximum flexibility both in terms of amount of research funding a particular area can be awarded, and the type of research which can be funded.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of Eli Lilly’s decision to increase the list price of Mounjaro by up to 170 per cent from September 2025 on people using the drug; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure that people continue to have affordable access to this treatment.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

As we shift the focus from treatment to prevention through our 10 Year Health Plan, we are determined to bring revolutionary modern treatments to everyone who needs them, not just those who can afford to pay.

NHS England has worked with Eli Lilly to ensure that the list price increase will not affect National Health Service commissioning of tirzepatide in England as a treatment for eligible patients, and we remain committed to the rollout of this medicine as a weight loss treatment based on clinical priority. This will enable 220,000 eligible people to access the medication over the first three years. Not everyone who wants tirzepatide will be able to access it at first, and the initial eligibility criteria will be for people with a body mass index of 40 or more in addition to four or more qualifying comorbidities.

Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have also entered equivalent agreements to maintain their current commissioning approaches.

Pricing in the private market is a matter for Eli Lilly and for private providers. Private patients who are impacted by price increases should discuss any concerns with their private provider. This includes their options regarding payment plans, alternative treatments, and/or stopping or tapering off their current medication. Eli Lilly is working with private providers to support continued patient access.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to expedite the processing of visa applications for charity workers volunteering in adult care homes.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Any Charity Worker applying for Entry Clearance who qualifies under the Immigration Rules will have their case decided within 15 working days as a maximum.

Charity Workers must not be filling permanent positions, even if they are on a temporary basis. This includes performing routine activities for the sponsor.

Current visa processing times can be found at: Visa processing times: applications outside the UK - GOV.UK.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of recognising Essential Tremor as a disability.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Equality Act 2010 defines disability as ‘a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities’. The Act defines ‘long-term’ in this context as having lasted, or being likely to last for, at least 12 months, or likely to last for the rest of the life of the person.

This could cover individual people who have Essential Tremor, where the condition has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on their ability to do normal daily activities.

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National inquiry into child sexual exploitation

Digital ID

Leasehold reform (No. 2)

FareShare Sussex and Surrey

Naloxone

Farmers, growers and the supermarket supply chain

Fairtrade tea campaign

Improving equestrian road safety awareness

Hospices and palliative care

Dame Annette Brooke

Neurodivergent children at school

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