Asked by: Chris Webb (Labour - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of reviewing the regulatory framework applying to coaches.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The UK coach sector was deregulated by the Transport Act 1980 and services are operated on a commercial basis without receiving government funding. Where coaches provide local bus services, they may be required to comply with the relevant legislation governing those services. Operation of buses and coaches requires a Public Service Vehicle Operator’s Licence and there are currently no plans to change that overarching regulatory framework.
We are continuing to review the Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations 2000, seeking to understand how well the Regulations serve disabled coach passengers.
Asked by: Chris Webb (Labour - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of initiatives to tackle bullying in schools.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Schools must take a strong stand against all forms of bullying and should tackle bullying at the earliest opportunity to prevent it from escalating, particularly given the impact it can have on pupils, both emotionally and physically. It is up to schools to develop their own anti-bullying strategies to suit their specific needs and are held to account by Ofsted.
The department provides advice to support schools with addressing incidents of bullying. The guidance is clear that schools should make appropriate provision for a bullied child's social, emotional and mental health needs. This guidance is accessible at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/625ee64cd3bf7f6004339db8/Preventing_and_tackling_bullying_advice.pdf.
Further resource includes the Respectful School Communities toolkit, which can be found on the Educate Against Hate website: https://www.educateagainsthate.com/resources/respectful-school-communities-self-review-signposting-tool-2/.
The department knows that children experiencing bullying are more susceptible to mental health challenges. The government will work to ensure the right support is available to every young person that needs it, including providing access to specialist mental health professionals in every school.
The department has launched a mental health leads resource hub to help schools select the most effective evidence-based support options, including a range of resources that focus on supporting the wellbeing of those who have experienced bullying. This is available at: https://www.mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk/.
Asked by: Chris Webb (Labour - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support children experiencing mental health issues due to bullying.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Schools must take a strong stand against all forms of bullying and should tackle bullying at the earliest opportunity to prevent it from escalating, particularly given the impact it can have on pupils, both emotionally and physically. It is up to schools to develop their own anti-bullying strategies to suit their specific needs and are held to account by Ofsted.
The department provides advice to support schools with addressing incidents of bullying. The guidance is clear that schools should make appropriate provision for a bullied child's social, emotional and mental health needs. This guidance is accessible at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/625ee64cd3bf7f6004339db8/Preventing_and_tackling_bullying_advice.pdf.
Further resource includes the Respectful School Communities toolkit, which can be found on the Educate Against Hate website: https://www.educateagainsthate.com/resources/respectful-school-communities-self-review-signposting-tool-2/.
The department knows that children experiencing bullying are more susceptible to mental health challenges. The government will work to ensure the right support is available to every young person that needs it, including providing access to specialist mental health professionals in every school.
The department has launched a mental health leads resource hub to help schools select the most effective evidence-based support options, including a range of resources that focus on supporting the wellbeing of those who have experienced bullying. This is available at: https://www.mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk/.
Asked by: Chris Webb (Labour - Blackpool South)
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 ensure the long-term sustainability of palliative and end of life care services.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We want a society where every person receives high-quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to the end of life. The Government is determined to shift more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to ensure patients and their families receive personalised care in the most appropriate setting, and palliative and end of life care services will have a big role to play in that shift.
As part of the work to develop the 10-Year Health Plan, we will be carefully considering policies, including those that impact people with palliative and end of life care needs, with input from the public, patients, health staff, and our partners.
Additionally, in February, I met with key palliative care and end of life care and hospice stakeholders, in a roundtable format, with a focus on long-term sector sustainability within the context of our 10-Year Health Plan.
Asked by: Chris Webb (Labour - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of late dyslexia diagnosis on children's educational outcomes; and whether she will consider implementing a universal screening programme to ensure early intervention.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Blackpool South to the answer of 31 March 2025 to Question 40829.
Asked by: Chris Webb (Labour - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the early identification of dyslexia in primary school children.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Blackpool South to the answer of 31 March 2025 to Question 40829.
Asked by: Chris Webb (Labour - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the report by the Competition and Markets Authority entitled Infant formula and follow-on formula market study, published on 14 February 2025, what steps his Department is taking to (a) restrict the use of non-verifiable messages and (b) ensure that only specified and prescribed information or categories of information are permitted on the labelling for (i) infant formula and (ii) follow-on formula.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Infant feeding is critical to a baby’s healthy growth and development. The Government is committed to giving every child the best start in life and that includes helping families to access support to feed their baby.
Whilst breastfeeding has significant health benefits, we recognise that for those families that cannot or choose not to breastfeed, it is vital that they have access to infant formula that is affordable and high quality. Infant formula regulations ensure that all infant formula is suitable for meeting the nutritional needs of babies, regardless of the price or brand.
The Government welcomes the Competition and Markets Authority’s market study report on infant formula and follow-on formula which included recommendations related to clear, accurate and impartial information on the nutritional sufficiency of all infant formula products on product labelling and on prohibiting intangible and/or non-verifiable messages on infant and follow on formula labels. We will carefully consider its findings and recommendations and respond in due course.
Asked by: Chris Webb (Labour - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the report by the Competition and Markets Authority entitled Infant formula and follow-on formula market study, published on 14 February 2025, what steps his Department plans to take to ensure infant formula manufacturers provide (a) clear, (b) accurate and (c) impartial information on the nutritional sufficiency of all infant formula products on product labelling.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Infant feeding is critical to a baby’s healthy growth and development. The Government is committed to giving every child the best start in life and that includes helping families to access support to feed their baby.
Whilst breastfeeding has significant health benefits, we recognise that for those families that cannot or choose not to breastfeed, it is vital that they have access to infant formula that is affordable and high quality. Infant formula regulations ensure that all infant formula is suitable for meeting the nutritional needs of babies, regardless of the price or brand.
The Government welcomes the Competition and Markets Authority’s market study report on infant formula and follow-on formula which included recommendations related to clear, accurate and impartial information on the nutritional sufficiency of all infant formula products on product labelling and on prohibiting intangible and/or non-verifiable messages on infant and follow on formula labels. We will carefully consider its findings and recommendations and respond in due course.
Asked by: Chris Webb (Labour - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the household benefit cap on single-parent families.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
No assessment has been made. Single-parent households can still receive benefits up to the value of gross earnings of around £25,700 or £30,300 in London. Where households require more support, they can approach their Local Authority, for help and guidance with housing costs. Delivering our manifesto commitment to tackle child poverty is an urgent priority for this Government, and the Ministerial Taskforce is continuing its urgent work to publish the Child Poverty Strategy.
Asked by: Chris Webb (Labour - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the household benefit cap on families with children living in poverty.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
No assessment has been made. Delivering our manifesto commitment to tackle child poverty is an urgent priority for this Government, and the Ministerial Taskforce is continuing its urgent work to publish the Child Poverty Strategy. Families can receive benefits up to the value of gross earnings of around £25,700 or £30,300 in London. Where households require more support, they can approach their Local Authority, for help and guidance with housing costs.