Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to his Department's White Paper entitled Restoring control over the immigration system, published on 12 May 2025, whether the expansion of the Point-Based System to increase in the standard qualifying period for settlement to 10 years would apply to future applicants to the British National (Overseas) visa scheme.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Government is committed to supporting members of the Hong Kong community who have relocated to the UK and those who may come here in future.
Further details of all measures announced in the Immigration White Paper will be set out in the normal way in due course, and where necessary, will be subject to consultation.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department’s policies of the speech by the BBC Director General on 14 May 2025.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We have noted the speech given by the BBC Director General on 14 May. The Government is in close touch with the BBC on all issues - we have regular discussions at both senior and official level. The Government highly values the BBC World Service, which provides impartial accurate news to a global audience of 320 million. The Government is providing a funding uplift of £32.6m (31 per cent) for the World Service in FY 2025/26. It remains the world's most trusted international news service. Any decisions on government funding for the World Service for future years will be made through the ongoing Spending Review process.
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 help armed forces (a) veterans and (b) families to access NHS dental treatment.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are working to ensure that everyone who needs to see a dentist will be able to do so. This includes our valued members of the Armed Forces community, including our respected veterans, who have spent their careers defending our country.
The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists. Armed forces families and veterans will be able to benefit from the improved access these changes bring, like other civilian members of the public.
Free NHS dental care is available to people who meet the following criteria:
- under 18 years old, or under 19 years old and in full-time education;
- pregnant or have had a baby in the previous 12 months;
- being treated in an NHS hospital and the treatment is carried out by the hospital dentist, although patients may have to pay for any dentures or bridges;
- receiving low-income benefits, or under 20 years old and a dependant of someone receiving low-income benefits; or
- receiving War Pension Scheme payments, or Armed Forces Compensation Scheme payments and the treatment is for your accepted disability.
Support is also available through the NHS Low Income Scheme for those patients who are not eligible for an exemption or a full remission of dental patient charges. Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/dentists/who-is-entitled-to-free-nhs-dental-treatment-in-england/
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether a VALOUR-recognised support centre will be located in Leeds.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
I repeat the lines that my mMnisterial colleague, the Minister for Veterans and People gave: that VALOUR is a new commitment to establish the first-ever UK-wide approach to veteran support. The detailed structures and processes that will underpin VALOUR will be designed in collaboration with relevant partners and further details will be announced in due course. on 12 May to Questions 50185, 50186, 50187, 50189, 50190, and 50191 to the hon. Member for South Suffolk (Mr Cartlidge), and Question 50424 to the Gallant and hon. Member for Spelthorne (Mr Jopp).
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 incorporate mental health training into midwifery education.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are no such plans. Undergraduate midwifery education and training already incorporates aspects of mental health training. It is the responsibility of the Approved Education Institutions and practice partners to develop the specific content and design of midwifery programmes to meet the standards set by the midwifery regulator, the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he plans to include costed policies to meet the (a) fourth, (b) fifth and (c) sixth carbon budget as part of the forthcoming climate action plan.
Answered by Kerry McCarthy - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Under the Climate Change Act 2008, this plan must set out this government’s package of policies and proposals needed to deliver carbon budgets 4-6. By October 2025 we will deliver an updated plan out to the end of carbon budget 6 in 2037.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) making the Enforcement Conduct Board's voluntary accreditation scheme regulations for Bailiffs mandatory and (b) giving the Board the power to authorise or certify agents.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Government supports the important work undertaken by the Enforcement Conduct Board to ensure that people facing enforcement action are treated fairly. We are actively considering whether further legislation is required to ensure appropriate oversight of enforcement firms and enforcement agents using the Taking Control of Goods procedure.
The Government will set out its approach in due course.
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 has considered appointing a clinical director for vascular and venous disease.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England and the Department are strongly supportive of clinical leadership and recognise the critical need to incorporate clinical expertise into our work. National clinical roles are a key part of this approach, and play an important role in policy development and implementation.
We are currently scoping the programme to bring NHS England into the Department, to form a new joint centre which will deliver better value for taxpayers’ money, and a better service for patients. As part of this process, we are carefully considering the future role of national clinical roles. While no specific decisions have been made yet regarding their scope and responsibilities within the new organisation, their expertise and leadership will continue to be pivotal in shaping the future of healthcare in our country.
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 assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of trends in the number of amputations for vascular and venous disease; and what discussions he has had with experts in this area on taking steps to reduce the number of amputations.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The 10-Year Health Plan, once published, will set out the Government's overarching vision for delivering the critical shift from a focus on treating illness to preventing conditions. Disease prevention is crucial in reducing the number of amputations arising from vascular and venous disease.
NHS England has implemented a range of initiatives aimed at improving the prevention and early diagnosis of conditions which increase the risk of needing lower-limb amputations. These include NHS Health Checks, for early detection of cardiovascular disease, the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme, and expanding community diagnostic centres to improve early detection.
NHS England commissions the National Vascular Registry (NVR) to provide information on the quality and outcomes of care for adults who have major vascular procedures. The NVR provides annual and quarterly reports for emergency and elective vascular procedures, including for those people with peripheral arterial disease who undergo either a lower limb angioplasty/stent, a lower limb bypass surgery, or a major lower limb amputation. From Quarter 1 of 2022 to Quarter 4 of 2024, NVR data demonstrated that vascular providers achieving the Commissioning for Quality and Innovation framework had increased from 47% to 55%. During this period, the number of providers submitting data to the NVR had increased by approximately 14%, and every National Health Service region showed an improvement in chronic limb threatening ischemia revascularisation quality.
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, if he will take steps to help increase (a) public and (b) medical education on vascular and venous disease; and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of doing so on levels of early diagnosis.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Vascular and venous disease are often associated with risk factors, such as raised cholesterol, obesity, and raised blood pressure.
The Department’s Better Health campaigns and resources include free evidence-based apps and tools to support people to make and sustain changes to improve their health, including the NHS Weight Loss app, the Food Scanner App, Couch to 5K, and Active 10.
In addition, a national multi-media campaign to help people to stop smoking ran between December 2024 and March 2025, and a campaign to encourage people to check their blood pressure with their local pharmacy ran in March 2024. Campaigns such as these have helped raised awareness of risk factors.
The evidence of the impact of both public and medical education is well established, and the Department will continue to look to the evidence to inform future policy decisions.