Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
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 adequacy of the availability of early pregnancy services in A&E departments (a) at weekends and (b) overnight.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No assessment has been made of the adequacy of the availability of early pregnancy services in accident and emergency departments. It is vital that women seeking support, including in early pregnancy, get the care they need. We will continue to work with NHS England to improve the Early Pregnancy Assessment Units’ (EPAUs) services, where the Pregnancy Loss Review found variation in the availability of EPAUs.
We encourage all women who have concerns about their pregnancy to seek help from a healthcare professional. Accident and emergency departments are 24-hour services, so a person presenting with concerns related to early pregnancy would initially be assessed by an emergency medicine clinician. Where further specialist care is needed, the person would be supported in an Early Pregnancy Assessment Clinic, or through the attendance of an obstetrician at the accident and emergency.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the total cost to the public purse was of out of court settlements for employment tribunal cases across Government in each of the last five years.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The total cost of special payments for the Cabinet Office, which includes - but is not limited to - any out of court settlements for Employment Tribunals is provided in the department’s annual report and accounts each year, which is published on gov.uk.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent guidance his Department has issued to NHS Foundation Trusts on the provision of early pregnancy services (a) at weekends and (b) overnight.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is determined to make sure all women and babies receive safe, personalised, and compassionate care, particularly when things go wrong.
We will continue to work with NHS England to ensure that we listen to women and their families, and learn lessons from recent inquiries and investigations, including recommendations from the pregnancy loss review.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support the development of a (a) safe and (b) effective Group B Streptococcus vaccine.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The UK Health Security Agency’s Vaccine Development and Evaluation Centre (VDEC) has been supporting the creation of a safe and effective maternal vaccine for Group B Streptococcus (GBS).
A maternal vaccine for GBS, which protects infants from both the early and late onset of the disease, will have a positive impact on infant mortality and morbidity. It will also lead to a sharp reduction in the use of antibiotics in neonatal units worldwide. By focusing on effectiveness, through advanced immune response evaluations, these efforts are accelerating the development of a reliable GBS vaccine that can protect vulnerable populations worldwide. Further information on how VDEC is supporting a GBS vaccine to prevent newborn deaths is available at the following link:
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the results of the GBS3 trial can be acted upon (a) quickly and (b) effectively.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Recruitment to the GBS3 trial ended in May 2024. The researchers are analysing the data, and a report is expected in Summer 2025. The UK National Screening Committee Secretariat is in close and regular contact with the researchers. The committee will review its recommendation, considering the evidence from the trial, once the report is available.
As part of this, the UK National Screening Committee will engage with stakeholders, in line with its usual processes.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will meet with Group B Strep Support to discuss the importance of (a) early and (b)consistent diagnosis of Group B Streptococcus.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Recruitment to the GBS3 trial ended in May 2024. The researchers are analysing the data, and a report is expected in Summer 2025. The UK National Screening Committee Secretariat is in close and regular contact with the researchers. The committee will review its recommendation, considering the evidence from the trial, once the report is available.
As part of this, the UK National Screening Committee will engage with stakeholders, in line with its usual processes.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the total cost to the public purse of out of court settlements for employment tribunal cases across the NHS in each of the last five years.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
This information is not held centrally by the Department or NHS England. No estimate has been made on the total cost to the public purse of out of court settlements for employment tribunal cases across the National Health Service in the last five years.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to ensure that support is available for households that (a) are not on low incomes and (b) do not have access to capital upfront to retrofit their homes.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
As part of the Warm Homes Plan, the Government has committed an initial £3.4 billion over the next 3 years towards heat decarbonisation and household energy efficiency, with £1 billion of this allocated to next year. Additional funding will be considered in Phase 2 of the Spending Review, as the Warm Homes Plan is further developed.
In addition, the Government is exploring the role of incentives and private finance for households to support homeowners with the upfront costs of energy efficiency improvements and low carbon heating. This includes the Green Home Finance Accelerator Programme which has made £20 million available to support in developing green finance products.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate she has made of the total cost to the public purse of out of court settlements for employment tribunal cases across local government in each of the last five years.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The information requested is not held centrally.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that care leavers aged between 18 and 25 can access affordable public transport; and if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the English National Travel Concession Scheme to care leavers.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
This government recognises the importance of supporting care leavers, and is keeping public transport affordable having announced a new £3 cap on single bus fares in England outside London throughout the entirety of 2025.
Any change to the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) would require careful consideration for its impact on the scheme’s financial sustainability. However, local authorities in England have implemented a wide range of their own local fares initiatives, including some discount schemes for care leavers, utilising alternative funding, such as Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) funding. On 17 November, the government confirmed £712 million funding for local authorities in 2025/26 to deliver their BSIPs and protect services, as part of an over £1 billion investment in buses confirmed at the Budget.