Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the next steps and expected timetable are for the development, testing and implementation of the fast-track care pathway for people living with motor neurone disease, announced on 5 August 2026.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Following the announcement by my Rt. Hon. Friend, the new Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on 5 August, the Department is working at pace with local authorities, the National Health Service, voluntary organisations, the Motor Neurone Disease Association, and people with lived experience to develop a prototype fast-track pathway for people with motor neurone disease (MND). Over the coming months, we will engage with local authorities, integrated care boards, and other partners to test the deliverability of the proposed pathway, assess system readiness, and refine the model. The announcement is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/patients-with-motor-neurone-disease-set-for-fast-tracked-care
Unpaid carers will be closely involved in this work. By reducing delays in accessing support, improving coordination between health, social care, and housing services, and easing the burden of navigating those services, we expect the new pathway to benefit both people with MND and those who care for them.
To support carers more broadly, under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are required to undertake carer’s assessments to support people caring for their family and friends who appear to have a need for support and to meet their eligible needs on request from them. To help local authorities fulfil their duties, including to unpaid carers, the Government is making over £4.6 billion of additional funding available for adult social care in 2028/29 compared to 2025/26. The Department also published The Unpaid Carers Action Plan in July, which is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/unpaid-carers-action-plan-recognise-refer-reach
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the new MND fast-track care pathway's potential to improve outcomes for unpaid carers as well as patients.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Following the announcement by my Rt. Hon. Friend, the new Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on 5 August, the Department is working at pace with local authorities, the National Health Service, voluntary organisations, the Motor Neurone Disease Association, and people with lived experience to develop a prototype fast-track pathway for people with motor neurone disease (MND). Over the coming months, we will engage with local authorities, integrated care boards, and other partners to test the deliverability of the proposed pathway, assess system readiness, and refine the model. The announcement is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/patients-with-motor-neurone-disease-set-for-fast-tracked-care
Unpaid carers will be closely involved in this work. By reducing delays in accessing support, improving coordination between health, social care, and housing services, and easing the burden of navigating those services, we expect the new pathway to benefit both people with MND and those who care for them.
To support carers more broadly, under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are required to undertake carer’s assessments to support people caring for their family and friends who appear to have a need for support and to meet their eligible needs on request from them. To help local authorities fulfil their duties, including to unpaid carers, the Government is making over £4.6 billion of additional funding available for adult social care in 2028/29 compared to 2025/26. The Department also published The Unpaid Carers Action Plan in July, which is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/unpaid-carers-action-plan-recognise-refer-reach
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what monitoring arrangements are in place to assess whether local authorities are accelerating Disabled Facilities Grant processes for people living with motor neurone disease.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In June 2026, the Government wrote to council leaders, asking them to take immediate steps to improve the timeliness and co-ordination of care and support for people with motor neurone disease and to consider how such approaches might also apply to people with similarly rapidly progressing needs. A number of local authorities have now introduced expedited pathways for people with rapidly progressing palliative conditions such as motor neurone disease. All local authorities have the flexibility to streamline Disabled Facilities Grant processes and provide faster support for people with urgent needs through their housing assistance policies.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to ensure unpaid carers of people living with motor neurone disease receive timely carers' assessments and support alongside the new MND fast-track care pathway.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Following the announcement by my Rt. Hon. Friend, the new Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on 5 August, the Department is working at pace with local authorities, the National Health Service, voluntary organisations, the Motor Neurone Disease Association, and people with lived experience to develop a prototype fast-track pathway for people with motor neurone disease (MND). Over the coming months, we will engage with local authorities, integrated care boards, and other partners to test the deliverability of the proposed pathway, assess system readiness, and refine the model. The announcement is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/patients-with-motor-neurone-disease-set-for-fast-tracked-care
Unpaid carers will be closely involved in this work. By reducing delays in accessing support, improving coordination between health, social care, and housing services, and easing the burden of navigating those services, we expect the new pathway to benefit both people with MND and those who care for them.
To support carers more broadly, under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are required to undertake carer’s assessments to support people caring for their family and friends who appear to have a need for support and to meet their eligible needs on request from them. To help local authorities fulfil their duties, including to unpaid carers, the Government is making over £4.6 billion of additional funding available for adult social care in 2028/29 compared to 2025/26. The Department also published The Unpaid Carers Action Plan in July, which is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/unpaid-carers-action-plan-recognise-refer-reach
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of staff are currently working on climate adaptation in the NHS.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The requested information is not centrally held by the Department, but this is an increasingly important area of work, as set out by my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, in her statement on 30 July, which is available at the following link:
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department plans to pause the expansion of NHS England's advice and guidance policy.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (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: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his Department's Access to Banking Services Review, published on 14 May 2026, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that people unable to use digital banking retain reasonable access to face-to-face banking services.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is committed to ensuring that people who need in-person banking can continue to access essential services.
That is why the Government commissioned an independent Review into Access to Banking Services, to assess whether changes to access to in-person banking services are causing consumer detriment, the scale of any detriment, and who and where it affects, including in rural, coastal, and market town communities.
Alongside the Review, the Financial Services and Markets Bill includes a power to allow the Government to take action in future to protect access to banking services, should this be necessary. This power ensures the Government can act swiftly and proportionately, including through future regulation, if the evidence from the Review supports intervention.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his Department's Access to Banking Services Review, published on 14 May 2026, what assessment his Department has made of the extent of geographical gaps in face-to-face banking provision.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is committed to ensuring that people who need in-person banking can continue to access essential services.
That is why the Government commissioned an independent Review into Access to Banking Services, to assess whether changes to access to in-person banking services are causing consumer detriment, the scale of any detriment, and who and where it affects, including in rural, coastal, and market town communities.
Alongside the Review, the Financial Services and Markets Bill includes a power to allow the Government to take action in future to protect access to banking services, should this be necessary. This power ensures the Government can act swiftly and proportionately, including through future regulation, if the evidence from the Review supports intervention.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, hen he plans to respond to Question 4447, 10962 and 15024 tabled by the hon. Member for North Shropshire on 29 May, 17 June and 1 July 2026.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the hon. Member to:
the answer my hon. Friend, the former Minister of State for Care, gave on 8 July 2026 to Question 4447;
the answer my hon. Friend, the former Parliamentary Under-secretary of State for Health Innovation and Safety, gave on 12 July 2026 to Question 10962; and
the answer my hon. Friend, the Minister of State for Health, gave on 19 August 2026 to Question 15024.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
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 impact of the 1% reduction of the NHS capital budget on the a) New Hospitals Programme, b) roll-out of neighbourhood health hubs and c) NHS estate repair backlog.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The capital budget for health is due to increase to £15 billion by 2029/30, over 30% higher than 2024/25. We are cutting bureaucracy and speeding up delivery, so taxpayers get maximum value for money. Due to the Government’s record investment, frontline services will be protected. The Department remains committed to the delivery of all schemes in the New Hospital Programme, neighbourhood health centres, and NHS estates programmes. We are working through the detail of future capital spending plans.