Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with the Royal Medical Colleges on child (a) health and (b) rights in Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government remains deeply concerned about the impact of the conflict on children. While there have been no formal meetings with the Royal Medical Colleges on these issues, Ministers regularly engage with medical and humanitarian organisations and continue monitoring their assessments closely. In January 2025, the UK announced £17 million to support the delivery of food, healthcare and shelter via the United Nations Children's Fund, UK-Med and the World Health Organization. This included support for 14,000 children with education and welfare, and over 465,000 medical consultations, many involving paediatric care. We continue pressing for full humanitarian access, the protection of aid workers and remain committed to upholding children's rights in Gaza.
Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when she plans to introduce a funding scheme for disabled candidates, in the context of Disability Action Plan commitments; and what progress she has made on a funding scheme for disabled candidates.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Disability Action Plan was an initiative of the previous administration.
It is this government’s ambition to see more disabled people in public office. We have been clear that we will champion disabled people’s rights and work closely with them so that disabled people’s views and voices are at the heart of decision-making.
On 9 June we announced a new Access to Elected Office Steering Group to support the development of a new fund to help with the disability-related expenses of gaining elected office. Drawing on their lived experience and expertise of disability, accessing funding or standing for elected office, members will work with the Minister for Social Security and Disability to ensure the fund is effective in increasing disability representation in future elections. More information about this work will be shared in due course.
Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what her planned timeline is for providing a progress update on the implementation of commitments outlined in the Disability Action Plan.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Disability Action Plan was an initiative of the previous administration.This Government is committed to championing the rights of Deaf and disabled people. We will build on the insights shared by disabled people and their representative organisations, working closely with them so that their views and voices are at the heart of everything we do.
We will provide further updates on the Government’s priorities for disability policy in due course.
Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Supreme Court judgment in For Women Scotland Ltd (Appellant) v The Scottish Ministers (Respondent) [2025] UKSC 16 on transgender young people at school.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
The government has set out its expectation that organisations follow the clarity the ruling provides. The Equality and Human Rights Commission has already committed to supporting organisations with its updated statutory Code of Practice. The department will engage them as necessary as they progress this work.
For children in schools in England, the department is currently reviewing the draft statutory relationships, sex and health education guidance and the draft non statutory guidance on gender questioning children, ensuring that children’s wellbeing is at the heart of both. We are analysing consultation responses, talking to stakeholders and considering the evidence, including the Cass Review, before deciding next steps.
Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her department is taking to support (a) transgender and (b) gender-diverse pupils in schools.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
The government has set out its expectation that organisations follow the clarity the ruling provides. The Equality and Human Rights Commission has already committed to supporting organisations with its updated statutory Code of Practice. The department will engage them as necessary as they progress this work.
For children in schools in England, the department is currently reviewing the draft statutory relationships, sex and health education guidance and the draft non statutory guidance on gender questioning children, ensuring that children’s wellbeing is at the heart of both. We are analysing consultation responses, talking to stakeholders and considering the evidence, including the Cass Review, before deciding next steps.
Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help reduce waiting times for gender identity services.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government and NHS England are committed to implementing the recommendations of the Cass Review in full. NHS England developed an ambitious two-year action plan which sets out how they will continue to transform and improve gender services, helping to tackle waiting lists, whilst ensuring safe and holistic care.
NHS England has opened three children and young people’s gender services in the North-West, London, and Bristol. A fourth East of England service will open later this year. These services operate under a fundamentally different model and embed multi-disciplinary teams in specialist children’s hospitals. The Government is pleased to say that these services have begun seeing patients from the national waiting list.
NHS England remains on schedule to deliver a gender clinic in each region of England by 2026, helping to improve the care offered to children and young people with gender dysphoria and/or incongruence.
The Government is also working to bring down waiting lists and improve care offered in adult gender services. NHS England has increased the number of adult gender dysphoria clinics in England from seven to 12, with the rollout of five new adult gender pilot clinics since July 2020. Furthermore, NHS England is currently carrying out a review of adult gender services, with the aim of producing an updated service specification. The review, which is chaired by Dr David Levy, will examine the model of care and operating procedures of each service, and will carefully consider experiences, feedback, and outcomes from clinicians and patients.