Damien Egan
Labour - Bristol North East
11,167 (26.6%) majority - 2024 General ElectionFirst elected: 15th February 2024
2 APPG Officer Positions (as of 20 Oct 2025)
Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories, Israel2 APPG Memberships
Commonwealth, ParkrunDivision 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
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
(6 debate interactions)
Department Debates
(11 debate contributions)
(6 debate contributions)
(4 debate contributions)
(3 debate contributions)
Legislation Debates
(1,067 words contributed)
(549 words contributed)
(295 words contributed)
Bristol North East 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 105,200 signatures (0.27%)
of 105,047 signatures (0.26%)
of 54,076 signatures (0.22%)
of 108,859 signatures (0.19%)
of 72,692 signatures (0.18%)
of 2,939,827 signatures (0.15%)
of 1,025,238 signatures (0.11%)
of 627,464 signatures (0.11%)
of 178,852 signatures (0.17%)
of 105,200 signatures (0.27%)
Latest EDMs signed by Damien Egan
Commons initiatives
These initiatives were driven by Damien Egan, 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.
Damien Egan has not been granted any Urgent Questions
Damien Egan has not been granted any Adjournment Debates
Damien Egan has not introduced any legislation before Parliament
1 Bill co-sponsored by Damien Egan
Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme (Report) Bill 2024-26
Sponsor - Liam Conlon (Lab)
Latest 50 Written Questions
(View all written questions)The Government is currently undertaking a review of UK national resilience which is expected to conclude in Spring 2025. It is being informed by the voices of local leaders, the devolved governments, businesses, voluntary and community sector representatives and academics. It is also considering the recommendations from public inquiries into Covid-19 and the Grenfell Tower tragedy.
We are also working closely with MHCLG who are developing Stronger Local Resilience Forum Trailblazers and taking forward the Devolution Bill which will help to strengthen local leadership, increase democratic accountability, and integrate resilience into place based policy decisions.
Working with international partners is a core strand of the UK’s efforts to strengthen our national resilience. My officials regularly discuss national resilience with their international counterparts - multilaterally within the auspices of NATO and our longstanding FiveEyes partnerships, and bilaterally with other key partners. In November, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster addressed the NATO Cyber Defence Conference - hosted in London - where he underlined the importance of continuing to work together as NATO Allies against the growing cyber threat to our collective resilience.
In August, we laid regulations that give the Infected Blood Compensation Authority the powers necessary to pay compensation through the core route to the infected, both living and deceased. On 17 October, the Infected Blood Compensation Authority began to reach out to the first claimants under these Regulations and the Government expects the Authority to begin making payments by the end of the year. On 24 October, the Government opened the process under which estates can apply for interim compensation payments of £100,000 for deaths not yet recognised. Subject to Parliamentary approval, the Government is aiming for the second set of Regulations to be in place by 31 March 2025. This will support our aim of payments to people who are affected to begin in 2025.
Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The UK Government and the Department of Business and Trade engages regularly with devolved governments on all aspects of economic development, including at the Business and Industry Inter-Ministerial Group.
The inaugural meeting of the Council of Nations and Regions took place in Edinburgh in October 2024. The Council brings together the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister with the leaders of the devolved governments and the mayors of combined authorities to facilitate collaboration on cross-cutting challenges including the core mission of securing economic growth.
This government is committed to an agenda of national growth and the UK’s new Industrial Strategy, a 10-year plan for growth due to be published in Spring, will be designed and implemented in lockstep with local and regional leaders.
In addition, HMG has announced the Council of Nations and Regions, supporting cross-border collaboration bringing together the PM and the DPM with the heads of the devolved governments and the mayors of combined authorities, to consider shared opportunities across the UK.
The Government is taking forward a wide package of space regulatory reforms to drive growth and innovation, which includes working to ensure a safe, secure and sustainable space environment. As part of this work, the UK Space Agency is undertaking research into the impact of options such as reducing post-mission disposal timelines. The timelines are currently set at 25 years in the UK. Additionally, they have commissioned studies on atmospheric ablation to understand the impact of deorbiting spacecraft on the Earth’s atmosphere. The Government will consider the outcomes of this research to determine if regulatory actions are appropriate and necessary.
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Government is committed to making the UK a European leader in small satellite launches and delivering a launch capability that brings benefits to communities and organisations across the UK.
We have made significant progress towards this goal. The UK is the only European country with multiple spaceports licensed for orbital launches, and Spaceport Cornwall conducted the first orbital launch from European soil in 2023. Although the satellites carried onboard were not successfully placed into orbit due to an anomaly, the launch showed that the UK is capable of launching satellites into space.
The next UK launches are planned from SaxaVord Spaceport in Scotland, which received its launch licence last year. Several domestic and foreign launch operators are targeting orbital launches from SaxaVord from this year.
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The ‘CLEAR’ debris removal mission, led by ClearSpace UK, passed its Preliminary Design Review in April 2024. Since then, through phase two of the UK Space Agency’s active debris removal (ADR) programme, CLEAR has undergone £2,350,000 of derisking activities to enhance the technology readiness levels of critical mission systems and refine mission costs.
CLEAR’s progress is in line with UK Space Agency (UKSA) mission planning. Subject to the Spending Review outcome, UKSA is developing the business case for phase three of the ADR programme which, if successful, will be published for tender in mid-2025 and awarded to one supplier for mission launch in 2028.
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government outlined progress toward the Ten Point Plan in the National Space Strategy in Action - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-space-strategy-in-action/national-space-strategy-in-action.
In addition, a regular Monitoring and Insights workstream is underway, chaired by DSIT, with attendance from the UK Space Agency, the Department of Business and Trade, and the Ministry of Defence, to track progress of the delivery of the National Space Strategy.
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The South West of England is an important part of the UK's spaceflight ecosystem, being home to the UK's first licensed and operational spaceport, Spaceport Cornwall in Newquay. The establishment of the spaceport has been instrumental in catalysing the growth of the Cornwall Space Cluster, which has created high-skilled jobs and facilitated collaboration and innovation in the UK’s space ecosystem.
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Since 2010, the Government has returned over £400 million to listed churches, synagogues, mosques and temples through the grant scheme. This has helped protect our listed places of worship and enabled them to continue their work as centres of worship and community assets.
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The provision of first aid training is a matter for early years, schools and colleges as employers who are best placed to make decisions about the training and development required to meet the needs of their staff and pupils.
The department publishes guidance to support settings to carry out their duties relating to first aid issues both on their premises and off-site.
Minister of State (Education)
Research by the Children’s Commissioner in 2023 found that any amount of term-time holiday is associated with lower GCSE results. This research is accessible here: https://assets.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/wpuploads/2023/11/CC-REPORT-_-Attendance-and-Attainment-_-Oct-23.pdf.
Recent research conducted by the department in 2025 found that at both key stage 2 and key stage 4, attending an extra two weeks of school is associated with a 30% higher chance of achieving the expected outcome at key stage 2 and a 10% higher chance at key stage 4. This research is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67c96d7dd0fba2f1334cf2ed/The_link_between_attendance_and_attainment_in_an_assessment_year_-_March_2025.pdf.
Absence does not just affect the child missing school, it also increases teacher workload. Research published by the National Foundation for Educational Research in 2019 shows that school absence disrupts learning for the whole class. The research is accessible here: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED594391.pdf.
Minister of State (Education)
I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Bristol North East to the answer of 3 October 2025 to Question 73205.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Bristol North East to the answer of 5 June 2025 to Question 53958.
The department publishes statutory guidance to assist local authorities in meeting their home to school travel duties. The guidance says that wherever possible, local authorities should offer independent travel training to children with special educational needs or disabilities who are eligible for free travel to school and who they think will be able to complete the programme. This guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/home-to-school-travel-and-transport-guidance.
Departmental officials engage regularly with local authorities and host bi-monthly online meetings, to which all local authority school travel officers are invited, to share good practice and seek advice from one another and the department.
The department’s statutory guidance for local authorities states that wherever possible, local authorities should offer independent travel training to children with special educational needs or disabilities who are eligible for free travel to school and who they think will be able to complete the programme. This guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/home-to-school-travel-and-transport-guidance.
The department does not hold the information requested. We are, however, working with local authorities to gather more data on home to school travel arrangements, including via a recent voluntary data collection.
The Holocaust is the only historic event which is compulsory within the current national curriculum for history at key stage 3. The government has made a commitment that the Holocaust will remain a compulsory topic in the reformed national curriculum, which will also be required teaching in academy schools when it is implemented.
The government supports the teaching of Holocaust education in schools and colleges by funding teachers’ professional development in this subject through University College London’s Centre for Holocaust Education and the Holocaust Educational Trust’s ‘Lessons from Auschwitz’ project, which gives students aged 16 to 18 the opportunity to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau.
In addition, a further £2 million funding for Holocaust remembrance and education was committed at the Autumn Budget 2024. This will be used to support the ambition set by my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister for all students to have the opportunity to hear a recorded survivor testimony. The department is currently exploring how it can support schools to fulfil this ambition.
Children in care and care leavers are significantly more likely to have poor mental health. The latest data shows that two thirds of children become looked after due to abuse or neglect and the department knows that care experienced adults are at four to five times greater risk of attempting suicide than their peers. With consideration for the significant trauma that many of these children and young people have experienced and its lasting impact, providing effective support is crucial.
Since July 2023, the department and NHS England have jointly led a Task and Finish Group to consider how to improve the way system partners work together to support and improve outcomes for children and young people who are deprived of their liberty and who are in the most complex situations.
The department has recently commissioned independent research on how the system works, its current impacts, and how we could do things differently to achieve better outcomes for children and young people. We plan to publish this research in summer 2025 and will draw on these reports to support the development and testing of evidence-based models of safe, therapeutic care that delivers integrated, consistent and collaborative practices for these children and young people.
Drawing on the best evidence, including the voices of children, input from professionals and commissioned research, the department will, in collaboration with NHS England, test a new, community-based approach to pathways and provision, providing treatment and care and bringing in professionals from children’s social care, health, justice and education. This will enable the system to deliver specialist care and accommodation for children who have complex needs.
Given our significant concerns for the health and wellbeing of children in care and care leavers, the department and the Department of Health and Social Care are reviewing and updating current statutory guidance on promoting the health and wellbeing of looked-after children. This guidance sets expectations on local authorities, Directors of Public Health, commissioners of health services for children, the NHS in England, and others, for the promotion of physical, emotional and mental health.
Regulations require an assessment of physical, emotional and mental health needs for every child when they enter care, and a plan to be developed to address their needs.
As part of our statutory guidance review, the department will consider what changes are needed to further ensure that children in care and care leavers receive the support they need for their physical and mental health and wellbeing, including access to any needed treatment or therapy.
Additionally, looked after children attract Pupil Premium Plus funding of £2,570 per year. This is managed by the local authority’s virtual school head and can be used to facilitate a wide range of educational support, including additional mentoring, tuition and therapeutic services.
Children in care and care leavers are significantly more likely to have poor mental health. The department’s latest data shows that two thirds of children become looked after due to abuse or neglect and we know that care experienced adults are at 4 to 5 times greater risk of suicide attempt than their peers. Providing effective support is crucial given the significant trauma that many of these children and young people have experienced and its lasting impact.
To support looked after children, looked after children attract pupil premium plus funding of £2,570 per year. This is managed by the local authority’s virtual school head and can be used to facilitate a wide range of educational support including additional mentoring, tuition, and therapeutic services.
Given our significant concerns for the health and wellbeing of children in care and care leavers, the department is working alongside the Department of Health and Social Care to review and update current statutory guidance on promoting the health and wellbeing of looked-after children. This guidance sets expectations on local authorities, Directors of Public Health, commissioners of health services for children, NHS England and others, for the promotion of physical, emotional and mental health.
Regulations require an assessment of physical, emotional and mental health needs for every child when they enter care and a plan to be developed to address their needs.
As part of the department’s statutory guidance review, we will consider what changes are needed to further ensure that children in care and care leavers receive the support they need for their physical and mental health and wellbeing, including access to any needed treatment or therapy.
In addition to the statutory guidance review, the department is also undertaking a programme of work specific to children with complex needs. Children with complex needs and multiple needs are some of our most vulnerable children in the care system. The outcomes for these children can often be very poor, with neither children’s social care nor health services alone capable of meeting their needs, and services not working effectively together for these children.
Since July 2023, the department and NHS England have jointly led a Task and Finish Group to consider how to improve the way system partners work together to support and improve outcomes for children and young people who are deprived of their liberty and who are in the most complex situations.
Drawing on the best evidence, including the voice of children, input from professionals and commissioned research, the department will, in collaboration with NHS England, test a new, community-based approach to pathways and provision which provides treatment and care, bringing in professionals from children’s social care, health, justice and education. This will enable the system to deliver specialist care and accommodation for children who have complex needs.
We have also recently commissioned independent research on how the system works, its current impacts and how we could do things differently to achieve better outcomes for children and young people. We plan to publish this research in summer 2025. We will draw on these reports to support the development and testing of evidence-based models of safe, therapeutic care that delivers integrated, consistent, and collaborative practices for these children and young people.
3 Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Questions
(View all Damien Egan's Defra questions)Defra is the Lead Government Department (LGD) in England with responsibility for the Water Sector, including as a Critical National Infrastructure sector. The equivalent bodies in the Devolved Governments are responsible for water, including Critical National Infrastructure in their respective nations.
Defra’s work to deter, detect and counter threats from hostile actors includes developing, maintaining and implementing legislation, including the Security and Emergency Measures Direction (SEMD) 2022 and the Network Information Systems (NIS) regulations (2018) (UK). The SEMD sets out legal responsibilities for the Water Sector in England on matters such as security and emergency planning.
Defra also works with other government departments and water companies to understand risks from hostile actors and develop mitigations. Water companies are Category Two Responders under the Civil Contingencies Act (2004) and as such have legal duties to assess, plan and advise on risks. They work with partner organisations through Local Resilience Forums to prepare, respond and recover from emergencies.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra assesses the potential impacts of natural disasters and conflicts along with other risks to the food supply chain, as outlined in the National Risk Register (NRR). Defra works with Cabinet Office, as leads for the NRR, and the wider resilience and Critical National Infrastructure community across the Government to ensure impacts to food supply are considered in risk assessments and contingency planning.
As a member of the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution and a signatory to the Bridge to Busan Declaration, the UK is pushing for an ambitious treaty that addresses the full lifecycle of plastics, including reducing production and consumption of primary plastic polymers to sustainable levels. The UK has played an active role in negotiations including at high-level Ministerial consultations on this matter during the UN General Assembly in New York.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government fully understands the serious problems that vehicles parked on the pavement, and other obstacles on the pavement, can cause for pedestrians, especially for people with mobility or sight impairments and disabled people with wheelchairs, prams or pushchairs. To inform next steps, the Department has considered the potential options, assessing the costs and benefits to households and businesses, which includes well-being, social isolation and economic opportunities. This assessment drew on existing evidence, including the 2020 pavement parking consultation. We will announce the next steps and publish our formal response as soon as possible.
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Local authorities are empowered to decide where investment is made in their areas. As such, it is for local authorities to consider whether disused railway lines would be suitable for active travel routes and to work with National Highways, in their role as custodians of the historic rail estate, to assess the viability of any particular routes.
In the Spending Review we announced that we are allocating £616 million for Active Travel England from 2026-27 to 2029-30 to support local authorities to build and maintain walking and cycling infrastructure. This is in addition to the almost £300 million funding for active travel in 2024/25 and 2025/26 which we announced in February.
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The government recognises the potential decarbonisation and growth benefits that new forms of zero-emission aircraft using hydrogen could provide. However, construction and operational timelines of any Heathrow Airport expansion remain a matter for the scheme promoter.
The government has been clear that any airport expansion proposals must be delivered in line with the UK’s legal, climate and environmental obligations. The government will set out detail on plans for meeting legislated carbon budgets later this year, including for aviation.
Also, the Jet Zero Taskforce, convening representatives from government, industry, and academia, has established a dedicated Task and Finish Group to review barriers to the commercial operation of zero-carbon hydrogen aircraft.
Requirements set out in ‘Local transport note 1/20: cycle infrastructure design’ and Inclusive Mobility guidance seek to ensure cycling schemes are accessible for all. This includes advice on designing for different types of cycle, including adapted cycles. Active Travel England provides funding and support to local authorities and active travel organisations to deliver programmes that include targeted interventions to overcome barriers for disabled people.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We are committed to reducing the time taken to process Access to Work applications and are considering the best way to deliver that for customers. We have increased the number of staff processing Access to Work applications. We prioritise applications from customers who are about to start a job or are renewing existing support. In March 2025, DWP published the Pathways to Work Green Paper, to consult on the future of Access to Work. Alongside this, we are exploring further changes within the current policy framework to reduce the time taken to process Access to Work applications.
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
To ensure information is accurate, all new and amended leaflets are subject to a quality assurance process where content is checked and approved by subject matter experts before publication.
In addition, the department undertakes an annual uprating review of all leaflets that are impacted by rate changes.
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Private sector (non-government) dashboards will be launched when the Secretary of State is satisfied that the dashboards ecosystem is ready to support widespread use by the general public, following consultation with the Money and Pensions Service, The Pensions Regulator and the Financial Conduct Authority. Insights gained from the launch and operation of the MoneyHelper will help inform this.
The Secretary of State will announce the date for the public availability of private sector dashboards at least six months in advance, in line with the Pensions Dashboards Regulations 2022.
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The information requested on decisions is not collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
However, we have provided the monthly figures on health professional (HP) recommendations, Fit for Work, Limited Capability for Work (LCW) and Limited Capability for Work Related Activity (LCWRA), following a Work Capability Assessment (WCA) separated by assessment type, since January 2021, in the attachment.
Please Note
- The information in the attachment shows recommendations made by assessment suppliers for claimants undergoing Employment Support Allowance or Universal Credit WCAs. These are not decisions. Recommendations made by a health professional are considered, along with other evidence, by DWP decision makers who will make a final decision on benefit entitlement.
- All of the above data is derived from contractual management information produced by the assessment suppliers.
- The above data is derived from unpublished management information which is collected for internal departmental use only and has not been quality assured to Official Statistics Publication standards.
- We have not provided HP recommendations management information for periods prior to January 2021 because the information for this period is not robust enough for publication.
- Volumes have been rounded to the nearest 100 and therefore the totals may not add up.
- The percentages are based on the actual amounts and not the rounded figures.
- The Other columns include other outcomes recorded as 'not terminally ill', 'other' and 'home visits' where recommendations are not available.
- All data is showing recommendations made by assessment suppliers and therefore is not the finalised customer outcome (cannot be classed as the decision).
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The number and proportion of Work Capability Assessments carried out face-to-face, remotely (by telephone and video) and by paper each month since March 2020 can be found in the tables below.
March 2020 to December 2020
Month | Face-to-Face | Telephone | Video | Paper-Based | ||||
| Number | Proportion | Number | Proportion | Number | Proportion | Number | Proportion |
Mar-20 | 33,200 | 62.4% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 20,000 | 37.6% |
Apr-20 | 0 | 0.0% | 200 | 1.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 19,000 | 99.0% |
May-20 | 0 | 0.0% | 1,000 | 4.7% | 0 | 0.0% | 20,200 | 95.3% |
Jun-20 | 0 | 0.0% | 8,500 | 42.3% | 0 | 0.0% | 11,600 | 57.7% |
Jul-20 | 0 | 0.0% | 13,200 | 58.7% | 0 | 0.0% | 9,300 | 41.3% |
Aug-20 | 0 | 0.0% | 14,000 | 66.7% | 0 | 0.0% | 7,000 | 33.3% |
Sep-20 | 0 | 0.0% | 24,600 | 76.4% | 0 | 0.0% | 7,600 | 23.6% |
Oct-20 | 0 | 0.0% | 33,400 | 79.5% | 0 | 0.0% | 8,600 | 20.5% |
Nov-20 | 0 | 0.0% | 31,100 | 79.3% | 0 | 0.0% | 8,100 | 20.7% |
Dec-20 | 0 | 0.0% | 30,700 | 81.4% | 100 | 0.3% | 6,900 | 18.3% |
2021
Month | Face-to-Face | Telephone | Video | Paper-Based | ||||
| Number | Proportion | Number | Proportion | Number | Proportion | Number | Proportion |
Jan-21 | 0 | 0.0% | 33,000 | 82.9% | 100 | 0.3% | 6,700 | 16.8% |
Feb-21 | 0 | 0.0% | 36,200 | 84.0% | 100 | 0.2% | 6,800 | 15.8% |
Mar-21 | 0 | 0.0% | 50,200 | 86.3% | 200 | 0.3% | 7,800 | 13.4% |
Apr-21 | 0 | 0.0% | 45,000 | 85.9% | 0 | 0.0% | 7,400 | 14.1% |
May-21 | 700 | 1.4% | 41,800 | 84.8% | 0 | 0.0% | 6,800 | 13.8% |
Jun-21 | 3,700 | 6.9% | 42,700 | 80.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 7,000 | 13.1% |
Jul-21 | 4,000 | 8.2% | 38,300 | 78.6% | 100 | 0.2% | 6,300 | 12.9% |
Aug-21 | 1,400 | 3.0% | 37,500 | 81.0% | 800 | 1.7% | 6,600 | 14.3% |
Sep-21 | 1,200 | 2.5% | 37,200 | 77.0% | 2,600 | 5.4% | 7,300 | 15.1% |
Oct-21 | 1,600 | 3.6% | 33,600 | 74.7% | 3,300 | 7.3% | 6,500 | 14.4% |
Nov-21 | 6,200 | 12.3% | 33,200 | 65.7% | 3,400 | 6.7% | 7,700 | 15.2% |
Dec-21 | 5,400 | 12.1% | 30,200 | 67.7% | 2,900 | 6.5% | 6,100 | 13.7% |
2022
Month | Face-to-Face | Telephone | Video | Paper-Based | ||||
| Number | Proportion | Number | Proportion | Number | Proportion | Number | Proportion |
Jan-22 | 300 | 0.6% | 43,100 | 79.8% | 4,000 | 7.4% | 6,600 | 12.2% |
Feb-22 | 3,700 | 6.9% | 38,000 | 71.2% | 4,200 | 7.9% | 7,500 | 14.0% |
Mar-22 | 8,100 | 14.0% | 37,500 | 64.9% | 4,700 | 8.1% | 7,500 | 13.0% |
Apr-22 | 7,200 | 15.0% | 30,500 | 63.7% | 3,600 | 7.5% | 6,600 | 13.8% |
May-22 | 9,000 | 16.3% | 35,200 | 63.9% | 3,800 | 6.9% | 7,100 | 12.9% |
Jun-22 | 7,400 | 15.4% | 31,200 | 64.7% | 3,500 | 7.3% | 6,100 | 12.7% |
Jul-22 | 7,400 | 15.3% | 31,500 | 64.9% | 3,200 | 6.6% | 6,400 | 13.2% |
Aug-22 | 8,200 | 16.0% | 32,500 | 63.6% | 3,800 | 7.4% | 6,600 | 12.9% |
Sep-22 | 7,400 | 15.0% | 31,800 | 64.5% | 3,700 | 7.5% | 6,400 | 13.0% |
Oct-22 | 7,500 | 14.2% | 35,300 | 66.6% | 3,900 | 7.4% | 6,300 | 11.9% |
Nov-22 | 8,600 | 14.8% | 38,700 | 66.5% | 4,100 | 7.0% | 6,800 | 11.7% |
Dec-22 | 6,400 | 14.2% | 30,800 | 68.1% | 3,200 | 7.1% | 4,800 | 10.6% |
2023
Month | Face-to-Face | Telephone | Video | Paper-Based | ||||
| Number | Proportion | Number | Proportion | Number | Proportion | Number | Proportion |
Jan-23 | 8,600 | 14.4% | 40,300 | 67.4% | 4,600 | 7.7% | 6,300 | 10.5% |
Feb-23 | 8,200 | 13.9% | 40,600 | 68.6% | 4,100 | 6.9% | 6,300 | 10.6% |
Mar-23 | 9,100 | 13.7% | 45,200 | 68.3% | 4,600 | 6.9% | 7,300 | 11.0% |
Apr-23 | 6,600 | 12.3% | 37,900 | 70.8% | 3,600 | 6.7% | 5,400 | 10.1% |
May-23 | 7,400 | 12.8% | 40,300 | 70.0% | 4,000 | 6.9% | 5,900 | 10.2% |
Jun-23 | 7,600 | 12.1% | 44,600 | 70.9% | 4,300 | 6.8% | 6,400 | 10.2% |
Jul-23 | 7,000 | 11.7% | 41,600 | 69.6% | 3,900 | 6.5% | 7,300 | 12.2% |
Aug-23 | 6,600 | 10.6% | 42,300 | 67.8% | 4,100 | 6.6% | 9,400 | 15.1% |
Sep-23 | 5,700 | 9.5% | 39,900 | 66.6% | 4,100 | 6.8% | 10,200 | 17.0% |
Oct-23 | 3,900 | 7.9% | 33,900 | 68.8% | 3,000 | 6.1% | 8,500 | 17.2% |
Nov-23 | 6,700 | 10.9% | 42,500 | 69.0% | 4,000 | 6.5% | 8,400 | 13.6% |
Dec-23 | 5,800 | 12.1% | 32,600 | 68.2% | 3,600 | 7.5% | 5,800 | 12.1% |
2024
Month | Face-to-Face | Telephone | Video | Paper-Based | ||||
| Number | Proportion | Number | Proportion | Number | Proportion | Number | Proportion |
Jan-24 | 8,300 | 12.4% | 45,200 | 67.5% | 5,000 | 7.5% | 8,500 | 12.7% |
Feb-24 | 9,000 | 13.5% | 44,400 | 66.4% | 5,300 | 7.9% | 8,200 | 12.3% |
Mar-24 | 8,100 | 13.0% | 40,800 | 65.6% | 5,500 | 8.8% | 7,800 | 12.5% |
Apr-24 | 8,500 | 13.0% | 43,500 | 66.5% | 5,600 | 8.6% | 7,800 | 11.9% |
May-24 | 6,500 | 10.0% | 45,700 | 70.4% | 5,700 | 8.8% | 7,000 | 10.8% |
Jun-24 | 5,800 | 10.1% | 40,100 | 69.7% | 4,700 | 8.2% | 6,900 | 12.0% |
Jul-24 | 5,000 | 7.5% | 45,900 | 69.2% | 6,700 | 10.1% | 8,700 | 13.1% |
Aug-24 | 3,800 | 6.9% | 39,300 | 71.3% | 5,200 | 9.4% | 6,800 | 12.3% |
Sep-24 | 3,600 | 7.0% | 39,900 | 77.8% | 1,300 | 2.5% | 6,500 | 12.7% |
Oct-24 | 5,500 | 9.2% | 41,500 | 69.4% | 4,400 | 7.4% | 8,400 | 14.0% |
Nov-24 | 5,100 | 9.2% | 38,500 | 69.2% | 4,200 | 7.6% | 7,800 | 14.0% |
Dec-24 | 4,600 | 10.4% | 31,200 | 70.4% | 2,900 | 6.5% | 5,600 | 12.6% |
Please Note
- All volumes have been rounded to the nearest 100.
- Due to rounding some percentages may exceed 100%.
- Remote assessments include telephone and video assessments.
- Due to the period covered in this question, the data source has been amended so figures may not exactly match with previous publications.
- All the above data is derived from contractual management information produced by the assessment suppliers.
- The above data is derived from unpublished management information which is collected for internal departmental use only and has not been quality assured to Official Statistics Publication standards.
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Cutting elective care waiting times, including for ear, nose, and throat services (ENT), is a key priority for the Government. Between July 2024 and June 2025, we delivered 5.2 million additional appointments, compared to the previous year, more than double our pledge of two million. The latest data from August 2025 shows the ENT waiting list, currently at 627,206, has reduced by 31,000, or 4.7%, since the start of July 2024.
ENT is identified as a priority in the Elective Reform Plan. Specific actions to reform ENT include expanding non-surgical community-based ENT services, maximising pharmacy first approaches, and developing one-stop clinical models to support patients needing ear care and patients with rhinitis. We are also focussing on reducing unwarranted variation in surgical pathways, supporting nationwide adoption of high-flow operating lists, and promoting greater ENT and paediatric ENT access at surgical hubs.
Surgical hubs focus on driving improvement in six high volume specialties, including ENT. There are currently 124 elective surgical hubs that are operational across England. Additionally, as outlined in the Elective Reform Plan, we will continue to promote greater ENT access at surgical hubs and greater partnership working with the independent sector to deliver more non-urgent care, free at the point of use.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB) must commission. This promotes a more consistent national approach and supports commissioners in prioritising palliative and end of life care. ICBs are responsible for the commissioning of palliative and end of life care services, to meet the needs of their local populations.
To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications. The statutory guidance requires ICBs to work to ensure that there is sufficient provision of palliative and end of life care services to meet the needs of their local populations.
We are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care. This funding will also help to develop and better outreach services to support people in their own homes when needed.
Additionally, we are providing £26 million of revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26. This is a continuation of the funding which until recently was known as the children and young people’s hospice grant.
I have tasked officials to look at how to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all- age palliative and end of life care, including services provided at, or closer to, home, in line with the 10-Year Health Plan. It is our intention to work together with stakeholders to ensure that everyone has access to the care they need, in the right place, at the right time, at the end of life.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No specific assessment has been made of the adequacy of the availability of hernia operations. Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning services, considering the needs of their local population and national guidance, such as that from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.
There are several types of hernia and therefore decisions about the eligibility to treat will be based on guidelines and clinical judgement appropriate to the individual circumstances.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
To rebuild dentistry in the long term and increase access to National Health Service dental care, we will reform the dental contract, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.
There are no perfect payment systems and careful consideration needs to be given to any potential changes to the complex dental system, so that we deliver a system better for patients and professionals.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given on 29 October to question 79968.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office is contactable 24/7 to provide consular assistance to British nationals abroad. Our assistance services are set out on gov.uk, including the help we can give when a British national is detained overseas. We take all reports of mistreatment seriously, and with the individual's consent we raise such incidents with the local authorities.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Ministers engage routinely with the BBC on a range of issues relating to the BBC World Service, including funding.
The Government is committed to determining a long-term sustainable funding model for the World Service. This will be done through Charter Review.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The BBC are operationally and editorially independent and decide the most effective and efficient way to deliver the BBC World Service.
At a time where media freedom is under threat across the world, the World Service provides impartial accurate news to a global audience of 320 million.
It reaches audiences living in authoritarian and conflict-affected states, where accurate information is most restricted. 75 per cent of its audience are based in countries with low or no media freedom.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Soft power is fundamental to the UK's impact and reputation around the world. It fosters friendships, builds relationships, promotes our values, and drives our own growth and prosperity. But we have not taken a sufficiently strategic approach to our huge soft power assets as a country. This is why we have set up a Soft Power Council to channel British expertise in these areas. Members of the Soft Power Council are establishing working groups to devise ways of deploying our soft power and broadening the reach of key moments in the global calendar. They will also help shape and drive a new Soft Power Strategy for the UK that will deliver on our foreign policy priorities.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Ratification of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement) is in line with this Government's determination to reinvigorate the UK's wider international leadership on climate and nature, and we are fully committed to doing so. Legislation to implement the BBNJ Agreement to allow ratification will be introduced as soon as the legislative timetable allows.
Ratification of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement) is in line with this Government's determination to reinvigorate the UK's wider international leadership on climate and nature and our mission to 'create a world free from poverty on a liveable planet.' Legislation to implement the BBNJ Agreement will be introduced as soon as the legislative timetable allows. There is no deadline for ratification.
Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Government is committed to supporting the hospitality sector across the UK.
The UK hospitality sector is largely made up of small businesses. The Government has protected the smallest businesses from the impact of the increase to employer National Insurance by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500. This means that 865,000 employers will pay no employer NICs at all this year.
To reduce wider burdens for the hospitality sector, we have also established the Licensing Taskforce and will call for evidence on a National Licensing Policy Framework which will set out national direction for licensing authorities to consider economic growth and cultural value. In addition, the English Devolution Bill will protect businesses from upward only rent clauses, and we are introducing a strong new ‘Community Right to Buy’ to help communities safeguard valued community assets.
Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Cycle to Work scheme is a benefit-in-kind provided by employers to their employees. A benefit-in-kind is a form of non-cash remuneration provided by employers to their employees. Income tax and National Insurance contribution relief is provided on the scheme to both employers and their employees via salary sacrifice arrangements. As a result, the scheme is not open to the self-employed, who are not eligible for salary sacrifice.
The government considers all tax changes in the round at fiscal events. The government stands by the commitment made not to increase tax on working people, including income tax, national insurance and VAT
The government is not going to speculate on tax changes ahead of the Budget on 30th October.
Chief Secretary to the Treasury