Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to introduce nationally commissioned services for the treatment of primary progressive aphasia.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are no current plans to introduce such nationally commissioned services. We are committed to delivering high quality care and support for every person with dementia, and central to this is the provision of personalised care and support planning for post diagnostic support.
Provision of dementia health care services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards (ICBs). It is the expectation that ICBs commission services based on local population needs, taking account of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines. It is the responsibility of ICBs to work within their geographical area to offer services that meet the needs of their population.
Local authorities are required to provide or arrange services that meet the social care needs of the local population under the Care Act 2014.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to continue to provide support for the building of shared ownership properties.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government will set out set details of new investment to succeed the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme at the Spending Review. This new investment will deliver a mix of homes for sub-market rent and homeownership, with a particular focus on delivering homes for social rent.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made assessment of the potential merits of waiving the Skilled Worker Visa sponsorship salary threshold requirements for civil servants.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Government keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, and will set out our policies in each relevant area in the upcoming Immigration White Paper.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of ending compulsory written national curriculum assessments for key stage one students.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
End of key stage 1 national curriculum tests and teacher assessments have been non-statutory since the 2023/24 academic year.
Following the 2017 consultation on primary assessment, a decision was made by the previous administration to make these assessments optional to reduce the overall number of tests children have to take in primary school and move the baseline for primary school progress measures from key stage 1 to reception. The Standards and Testing Agency continues to develop test papers for schools to use on an optional basis as part of their ongoing assessment of pupils.
The phonics screening check is the only statutory assessment administered to pupils in key stage 1. This is a short, light-touch assessment which assesses pupils’ ability to decode and read words using phonics.
In respect of future assessment policy and associated arrangements, the government has established an independent curriculum and assessment review, covering key stages 1 to 5, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE, an expert in education policy. The national curriculum assessments administered to primary pupils are in scope of this review, which will look at whether the current assessment system can be improved.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
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 to increase NHS patient choice within the field of ophthalmology.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to giving patients greater choice and control over their care and throughout their elective care pathway, including those referred to ophthalmology services.
Patients have an existing legal right to choose where they go for their first appointment, when referred to consultant-led care as an outpatient. Currently, less than a quarter of patients recall being offered a choice of provider. The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the work needed to empower patients with greater choice and control, in order to make informed choices. This includes improving the information available to patients to support their decisions, such as improved waiting time information.
We also published a Partnership Agreement between the National Health Service and the independent sector, which sets out the support needed to drive patient choice, which can include choosing provision from independent providers.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of implementing the proposals of the Better Business Act campaign.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Better Business Act campaign seeks changes to Section 172 of the Companies Act 2006 to provide for company directors to deliver benefits to shareholders, society and the environment. Section 172 already enables companies to amend their articles of association to provide for this purpose, or any other corporate purpose. Section 172 also requires directors to have regard to a range of interests, including those of employees and the community and the environment. Large companies must report each year on how this has informed their directors’ decision-making. Therefore, the Government has no plans currently to amend Section 172.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of the Government taking over sponsorship of migrant care staff from employers.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
It is a fundamental principle of sponsorship that those who benefit most directly from employing migrant workers play their part in ensuring the immigration system is not abused, and the Government therefore has no plans to take over sponsorship of migrant care staff from employers.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the consultation entitled 2025/26 NHS Payment Scheme, published on 30 January 2025, what steps his Department is taking to seek views from people living with ADHD through that consultation.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England is following standard procedure in its consultation on the NHS Payment Scheme. NHS England consults on changes to the payment scheme every year, as they are required to by law. While the legal requirement is just for NHS England to consult commissioners and providers, they do accept responses from other interested parties and members of the general public.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the ruling by the Unitary Agrarian Court Number 28 in Mexico that the company Fresnillo PLC must pay damages to farmers in El Bajío for illegal extraction of gold on the community's land from 2005 to 2013.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Department for Business and Trade is aware of the case between the Unitary Agrarian Court and Fresnillo PLC. This is a domestic legal matter for Mexico.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her Department's policies of the Dasgupta Review, published on 2 February 2021.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government agrees with the central conclusion of the Dasgupta Review that nature, and the biodiversity that underpins it, sustains our economies, livelihoods and wellbeing. It is therefore committed to integrating nature into economic and financial decision-making, and the institutions and systems that underpin it.
As set out at the Budget, the Government is investing in the natural environment, confirming £5 billion over two years to support the transition to a more productive and environmentally sustainable agricultural sector in England, and at least £400m for tree planting and restoration to protect soils, rivers and biodiversity.
The Treasury continues to explore ways to strengthen processes for assessing the climate and environmental impacts of fiscal decisions and improve the Green Book in line with emerging evidence and best practice, building on the extensive guidance already provided for evaluating and monetising natural capital impacts.