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 decrease waiting times for (a) urgent and (b) routine cardiology appointments in Surrey and Hampshire.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Too many people have been left in limbo waiting for National Health Service appointments. The Government has committed to returning to the constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment. Performance is currently at 58.9% for cardiology services in the Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care Board (ICB), and 59.3% for cardiology services in the Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB. As a first step, we have already delivered on our pledge of an additional two million operations, scans, and appointments across elective services, nationally, between July and November 2024, compared to the same period in 2023, seven months ahead of schedule.

Cardiology has been identified as one of five national priority specialties which will undergo clinically driven pathway transformation in the Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025. Planned reforms to cardiology care will include increasing specialist input earlier in care pathways, in turn reducing the number of unnecessary diagnostics undertaken, by developing standard pathways for common outpatient presentations, such as palpitations, and increasing timely access to cardiac diagnostic tests.

In addition to national efforts, the Department and NHS England are supporting a range of local actions in the South East region to reduce the time patients spend waiting for specialist cardiology care, both for urgent and routine appointments. For example, delays for echocardiography (ECG) are a key challenge in the Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB. Local action is focussed on improving ECG access by standardising pathways, to remove unwarranted variation for patients, and rolling out wider direct access to diagnostic tests through community diagnostic centre provision, rather than in hospitals. We are also supporting local general practices and trusts, through their ICBs, to increase volumes of Advice and Guidance for cardiology, which significantly reduces the time patients spend waiting for care.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of replacing Capita with a tri-service agency on the armed forces recruitment process.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

On 6 February 2025 AFRP announced the award of the contract to Serco, for the new tri-service Armed Forces Recruiting Service (AFRS). It will provide a streamlined, single-entry point for prospective recruits, with the aim of recruiting from the broadest spectrum of society to attract the best talent into the Armed Forces. The service will launch in 2027, replacing the individual schemes run by the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to promote first aid training for school pupils.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

All state-funded schools are required to teach about first aid as part of the statutory health education set out within the relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) statutory guidance. Independent schools are required to cover health education as part of their responsibility to provide personal, social, health and economic education.

The statutory guidance includes basic first aid for primary school children, for example dealing with common injuries, such as head injuries. Pupils in secondary schools will be taught further first aid, for example how to administer CPR and the purpose of defibrillators.

The department is currently reviewing the statutory RSHE curriculum, which includes considering whether any additional content is needed, and will be publishing revised guidance as soon as possible.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to take steps with the Secretary of State for Education to promote (a) CPR training and (b) defibrillator use in schools.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

There are no plans to take steps with my Rt Hon. Friend, Secretary of State for Education to promote cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training and defibrillator use in schools. The Department for Education published guidance in January 2025 on the provision and use of automated external defibrillators in schools, as well as training in CPR. This guidance is available at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67936b102de28ea2d392f35b/Automated_External_Defibrillators__AEDs__guidance_for_schools.pdf

The Department for Education, working with NHS Supply Chain, has negotiated an arrangement for schools to purchase defibrillators at a reduced cost. As part of its work to help people survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, the British Heart Foundation is offering CPR training packs free to all secondary schools in the United Kingdom.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions her Department has had with (a) Surrey Police and (b) XPS Administration on the service provided to (i) police pension claimants and (ii) people awaiting a remediable service statement.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

While the Home Office has responsibility for overarching policy and legislative changes to the police pension regulations, the police pension scheme is locally administered by individual police forces. The Home Office is working with the policing sector to support the effective implementation of the McCloud remedy and associated compensation payments for all affected individuals.

It is for each Chief Constable, in their role as scheme manager for their force, to determine their administrative timetable, in accordance with the Public Service Pensions and Judicial Offices Act 2022, including issuing remediable service statements, as well as when remedy payments and compensation payments will be paid.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions her Department has had with (a) Surrey Police and (b) XPS Pensions on the time taken to provide compensation for police pension claimants in Surrey.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

While the Home Office has responsibility for overarching policy and legislative changes to the police pension regulations, the police pension scheme is locally administered by individual police forces. The Home Office is working with the policing sector to support the effective implementation of the McCloud remedy and associated compensation payments for all affected individuals.

It is for each Chief Constable, in their role as scheme manager for their force, to determine their administrative timetable, in accordance with the Public Service Pensions and Judicial Offices Act 2022, including issuing remediable service statements, as well as when remedy payments and compensation payments will be paid.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of classifying severe chronic anorexia as a disability rather than solely a mental health condition.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has made no such assessment. Under the Equality Act 2010, a disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on an individual’s ability to do normal day to day activities.

The Equality Act 2010’s guidance on matters to be taken into account in determining questions relating to the definition of disability, refers to a range of impairments from which a disability can arise, including eating disorders. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/equality-act-guidance/disability-equality-act-2010-guidance-on-matters-to-be-taken-into-account-in-determining-questions-relating-to-the-definition-of-disability-html

We recognise the devastating impact an eating disorder can have on someone’s life, and that the earlier treatment is provided, the greater the chance of recovery. NHS England is continuing to expand community-based eating disorder service capacity, including crisis care and intensive home treatment. By improving care in the community, the National Health Service can improve outcomes and recovery, reduce rates of relapse, prevent eating disorders continuing into adulthood and, if admission is required as a very last resort, reduce lengths of stay in urgent and emergency care.

Found: Jen Craft; Josh Fenton-Glynn; Andrew George; Paulette Hamilton; Alex McIntyre; Joe Robertson; Gregory Stafford

Found: Craft; Josh Fenton -Glynn; Andrew George; Paulette Hamilton; Alex McIntyre; Joe Robertson; Gregory Stafford

Found: Jen Craft; Josh Fenton-Glynn; Andrew George; Paulette Hamilton; Alex McIntyre; Joe Robertson; Gregory Stafford

Found: Beccy Cooper; Jen Craft; Josh Fenton-Glynn; Andrew George; Paulette Hamilton; Joe Robertson; Gregory Stafford