Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to publish a response when the final part of the Amos Review has been delivered; and what preparatory work his Department has undertaken to respond to the anticipated recommendations.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, chaired by my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, will be launched imminently. The taskforce will develop a national action plan to address the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation’s recommendations. The Department has been engaging with bereaved and harmed families and stakeholders on how the taskforce is set up, including the Terms of Reference and membership. It will be made up of a breadth of independent clinical and international expertise including those who can speak to the inequalities within maternal health, as well as family and staff representatives, charities and campaigners. The taskforce will work closely with families in developing the action plan, ensuring their voices are central to this work.
Previous reviews and research have provided a clear picture of the challenges facing maternity and neonatal services. The National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation will bring together and prioritise all the existing recommendations, as well as the new evidence they are collecting. The investigation’s interim report details the insights gathered so far but much evidence is still being collected and analysed. Baroness Amos has advised that the investigation will publish its final report and recommendations in June.
Alongside this, the Government is taking immediate action to boost accountability and safety as part of the Government’s mission to build a National Health Service fit for the future. This includes measures to hold the system to account, a system to better identify safety concerns, rolling out a programme to all trusts to tackle discrimination and racism, and new best practice standards in maternal mortality.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
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 the cultural and leadership issues referenced in the Baroness Amos' interim report; and whether those findings will inform future approaches to supporting maternity teams.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, chaired by my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, will be launched imminently. The taskforce will develop a national action plan to address the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation’s recommendations. The Department has been engaging with bereaved and harmed families and stakeholders on how the taskforce is set up, including the Terms of Reference and membership. It will be made up of a breadth of independent clinical and international expertise including those who can speak to the inequalities within maternal health, as well as family and staff representatives, charities and campaigners. The taskforce will work closely with families in developing the action plan, ensuring their voices are central to this work.
Previous reviews and research have provided a clear picture of the challenges facing maternity and neonatal services. The National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation will bring together and prioritise all the existing recommendations, as well as the new evidence they are collecting. The investigation’s interim report details the insights gathered so far but much evidence is still being collected and analysed. Baroness Amos has advised that the investigation will publish its final report and recommendations in June.
Alongside this, the Government is taking immediate action to boost accountability and safety as part of the Government’s mission to build a National Health Service fit for the future. This includes measures to hold the system to account, a system to better identify safety concerns, rolling out a programme to all trusts to tackle discrimination and racism, and new best practice standards in maternal mortality.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what consideration the Department has given to Baroness Amos' interim report’s findings regarding the limited progress on recommendations from previous maternity investigations, and how this will influence future review and implementation processes.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, chaired by my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, will be launched imminently. The taskforce will develop a national action plan to address the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation’s recommendations. The Department has been engaging with bereaved and harmed families and stakeholders on how the taskforce is set up, including the Terms of Reference and membership. It will be made up of a breadth of independent clinical and international expertise including those who can speak to the inequalities within maternal health, as well as family and staff representatives, charities and campaigners. The taskforce will work closely with families in developing the action plan, ensuring their voices are central to this work.
Previous reviews and research have provided a clear picture of the challenges facing maternity and neonatal services. The National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation will bring together and prioritise all the existing recommendations, as well as the new evidence they are collecting. The investigation’s interim report details the insights gathered so far but much evidence is still being collected and analysed. Baroness Amos has advised that the investigation will publish its final report and recommendations in June.
Alongside this, the Government is taking immediate action to boost accountability and safety as part of the Government’s mission to build a National Health Service fit for the future. This includes measures to hold the system to account, a system to better identify safety concerns, rolling out a programme to all trusts to tackle discrimination and racism, and new best practice standards in maternal mortality.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he expects NICE to publish the outcomes of the appeals on its final draft guidance on donanemab and lecanemab.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
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 effectiveness of the Early Access to Medicines Scheme in facilitating patient access to new treatments for neuromuscular diseases.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) supports access to treatments for people living with neuromuscular diseases. The majority of neuromuscular diseases are defined as rare diseases. On the 2 November 2025, the MHRA published a policy paper on rare therapies and United Kingdom regulatory considerations, which is available at the following link:
The Early Access to Medicines Scheme (EAMS), is an existing pathway across the regulatory and access system designed to support innovative treatments being available to patients earlier in the development cycle, outside of a clinical trial. This includes for those living with neuromuscular diseases. The Government is collaborating across the regulatory system to continuously review the effectiveness of these pathways for rare diseases. Further information on the EAMS is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-the-early-access-to-medicines-scheme-eams
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the water regulator replacing Ofwat will have prosecution powers.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has set out its ambition to create a powerful new water regulator, bringing together the relevant functions from the existing regulators (Ofwat, the Drinking Water Inspectorate, Environment Agency and Natural England) into one new body. This will replace the current fragmented system with one regulator capable of integrated management of the water system.
Defra is developing the design and operating model of the new regulator and will ensure the regulator has robust enforcement powers. These reforms will be set out in a future water reform bill.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when HMRC plans to move from Government Gateway to One Login.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
HMRC detailed its ambitions for moving to GOV.UK One Login in its Transformation Roadmap which was published in July 2025. This can be found here: HMRC's Transformation Roadmap - GOV.UK
HMRC entered public beta testing for new individual customers (those without a Government Gateway account) in February 2026 and controlled numbers of new users can now sign up to access HMRC digital services through GOV.UK One Login.
This public beta is scheduled to run until June 2026, prior to a full go-live for new individual customers later this year.
This will be followed by existing individuals (those with a Government Gateway account) and agents and organisations, as set out in the Transformation Roadmap.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has been made of the potential impact that delays in access to newborn screening for spinal muscular atrophy will have on those not part of the upcoming in-service evaluation of screening for the condition.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises the challenges faced by those living with rare diseases and their families and is committed to improving outcomes. This is why the National Health Service is planning a large-scale in-service evaluation (ISE) of screening for spinal muscular atrophy in newborn screening services, starting in January 2027.
Over 400,000 babies would be offered screening as part of this ISE. My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has asked NHS England to investigate whether it would be appropriate and feasible for the evaluation to be rolled out across the whole of England.
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) can be a devastating condition, and we recognise that if treatment is given before a baby shows any symptoms, outcomes can be significantly improved. However, any screening programme that would impact approximately 650,000 babies per year in the United Kingdom must be underpinned by high quality robust evidence that demonstrates that screening will do more good than harm. The ISE will will help inform a future UK National Screening Committee recommendation on whether screening for SMA should be added to the NHS Newborn Blood Spot Screening Programme.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps are being taken to mitigate disparities in outcomes associated with partial geographical coverage of the in-service evaluation of newborn screening for spinal muscular atrophy.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises the challenges faced by those living with rare diseases and their families and is committed to improving outcomes. This is why the National Health Service is planning a large-scale in-service evaluation (ISE) of screening for spinal muscular atrophy in newborn screening services, starting in January 2027.
Over 400,000 babies would be offered screening as part of this ISE. My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has asked NHS England to investigate whether it would be appropriate and feasible for the evaluation to be rolled out across the whole of England.
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) can be a devastating condition, and we recognise that if treatment is given before a baby shows any symptoms, outcomes can be significantly improved. However, any screening programme that would impact approximately 650,000 babies per year in the United Kingdom must be underpinned by high quality robust evidence that demonstrates that screening will do more good than harm. The ISE will will help inform a future UK National Screening Committee recommendation on whether screening for SMA should be added to the NHS Newborn Blood Spot Screening Programme.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps are being taken to ensure that screening as part of the in-service evaluation of newborn screening of spinal muscular atrophy is commenced.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises the challenges faced by those living with rare diseases and their families and is committed to improving outcomes. This is why the National Health Service is planning a large-scale in-service evaluation (ISE) of screening for spinal muscular atrophy in newborn screening services, starting in January 2027.
Over 400,000 babies would be offered screening as part of this ISE. My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has asked NHS England to investigate whether it would be appropriate and feasible for the evaluation to be rolled out across the whole of England.
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) can be a devastating condition, and we recognise that if treatment is given before a baby shows any symptoms, outcomes can be significantly improved. However, any screening programme that would impact approximately 650,000 babies per year in the United Kingdom must be underpinned by high quality robust evidence that demonstrates that screening will do more good than harm. The ISE will will help inform a future UK National Screening Committee recommendation on whether screening for SMA should be added to the NHS Newborn Blood Spot Screening Programme.