Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of reducing funding for International Baccalaureate qualifications on the range of (a) subjects and (b) educational choices available to state school pupils.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

I refer the hon. Member for St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire to the answer of 24 October 2025 to Question 83028.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of reducing funding for International Baccalaureate qualifications on state schools.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

I refer the hon. Member for St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire to the answer of 24 October 2025 to Question 83028.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure state school pupils can access International Baccalaureate programmes.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

I refer the hon. Member for St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire to the answer of 24 October 2025 to Question 83028.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to publish details on (a) the process for the work of the PIP review and (b) how (i) individuals and (ii) groups can participate in that review.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

To ensure lived experience is at the heart of its work, the Timms Review will be co-produced with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, clinicians, carers, experts, MPs and others. We have also confirmed that a majority of the Review’s leadership group will be disabled.

This group will not work alone: it will shape a programme of participation and engagement that brings together the full range of views and voices.

Over the summer, I met with disabled people, disabled people’s organisations, disability, welfare and carers’ charities, think tanks and other experts to discuss and listen to how we should approach co-production in the Timms Review.

We are working through this feedback and will provide an update shortly.

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 ensure equitable access to genetic testing for people with motor neurone disease.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Genomic testing in the National Health Service in England is provided through the NHS Genomic Medicine Service (GMS). Testing is directed by the National Genomic Test Directory, which sets out the eligibility criteria for patients to access testing.

Genomic testing for adult-onset neurodegenerative disorders is included in the Test Directory under specific clinical scenarios including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the most common type of motor neurone disease. The Test Directory is routinely reviewed to ensure that genomic testing continues to be available for all patients for whom it would be of clinical benefit, while delivering value for money for the NHS. The directory and associated supporting material are available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/national-genomic-test-directory-supporting-material/

The strategic and systematic embedding of genomic medicine in end-to-end clinical pathways and clinical specialities is supported by a network of seven regional NHS GMS Alliances, which play an important role in achieving equitable access to standardised end-to-end pathways of care, including genomic testing, clinical genetics, and genetic counselling services.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to support the production of a modern service framework to help (a) improve outcomes and (b) reduce health inequalities for respiratory care.

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

Everyone in the National Health Service is responsible for delivering high-quality care. As announced in the 10-Year Health Plan, as well as an overall quality strategy, the National Quality Board will oversee the development of a new series of service frameworks to accelerate progress in conditions where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in the quality of care and productivity.

Early priorities will include cardiovascular disease, severe mental illness, and the first ever service framework for frailty and dementia. The Government will consider other long-term conditions with significant health and economic impacts for future waves of modern service frameworks.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what criteria his Department uses to determine which conditions should receive a modern service framework.

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

Everyone in the National Health Service is responsible for delivering high-quality care. As announced in the 10-Year Health Plan, as well as an overall quality strategy, the National Quality Board will oversee the development of a new series of service frameworks.

Between 1997 and 2010, national service frameworks were a clinically led approach to developing guidance that supported sustained improvement in major condition outcomes, including by narrowing inequality and reducing unwarranted variation. As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will reintroduce and modernise this approach. These modern service frameworks will define an aspirational, long-term outcome goal for a major condition and then identify the best evidenced interventions and support for delivery.

Early priorities will include cardiovascular disease, severe mental illness, and the first ever service framework for frailty and dementia. The Government will consider other long-term conditions for future waves of modern service frameworks. The criteria for determining other conditions for future modern service frameworks will be based on where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in the quality of care and productivity.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he expects the data on incidence of corridor care to be published by NHS England.

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

The Government is committed to tackling the unacceptable practice of corridor care in our National Health Service. Our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan, published in June 2025, sets out steps we are taking, including the commitment to publish data on the prevalence of corridor care.

NHS England has been working with trusts since 2024 to put in place new reporting arrangements related to the use of temporary escalation spaces, to drive improvement. The data quality is currently being reviewed, and the information will be published shortly.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether integrated care boards will be given additional one-off funding for redundancy programmes to meet the 50% cost reduction target.

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.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department has given to integrated care boards on covering redundancy programme costs.

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.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he has taken to help increase awareness amongst employers of the incentives available to hire apprentices, including National Insurance relief when hiring apprentices under 25.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The government offers a range of financial support to help employers to take on apprentices. In addition to the National Insurance exemptions for apprentices under 25, the government pays £1,000 to employers that take on apprentices under 19 or eligible 19 to 24-year-olds.

An incentive payment of up to £2,000 has also been introduced to employers who take on foundation apprenticeships, on the seven apprenticeships that launched in August 2025.

Apprenticeships and the financial support available for employers are promoted through multiple channels, including social media and email and telephone marketing campaigns.

In addition, the government facilitates and funds the Apprenticeship Ambassador Network (AAN) which comprises 2,500 employers and apprentices who volunteer to promote the benefits of apprenticeships.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress he has made on the design of the PIP review.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Timms Review will be co-produced with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, carers, clinicians, experts, MPs and other stakeholders, to ensure that expertise from a wide range of perspectives is drawn upon.

On 30 October, I announced that the Review will be co-chaired by myself alongside Sharon Brennan and Dr Clenton Farquharson CBE. We will oversee a steering group responsible for leading the co-production process, setting the Review’s strategic direction, priorities and workplan. The group will be made up of a majority of disabled people or representatives of disabled people’s organisations and will be recruited through an open and transparent Expression of Interest (EOI) process. The EOI is now live and will run until 30 November.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions he has had with small businesses on the apprenticeship system.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

Small businesses are a vital part of our economy and apprenticeship system. They provide valuable opportunities in priority sectors for young people and apprentices from disadvantaged areas.

The government engages with small employers regularly to promote apprenticeships. During National Apprenticeship Week 2025, we held a round table with small and medium employers and other key partners to better understand the challenges they are facing in recruiting apprentices. This insight allows us to better target engagement activities with small businesses.

The government pays the full training costs for young apprentices under 22 and eligible apprentices aged 22-24 undertaking apprenticeships with non-levy paying employers, also paying £1,000 to both employers and providers for apprentices aged 16-18, and for eligible apprentices aged 19-24.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of fully funding apprenticeships for under-22s in SMEs on apprenticeship starts.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

Small businesses are a vital part of our economy and apprenticeship system. They provide valuable opportunities in priority sectors for young people and apprentices from disadvantaged areas.

The government engages with small employers regularly to promote apprenticeships. During National Apprenticeship Week 2025, we held a round table with small and medium employers and other key partners to better understand the challenges they are facing in recruiting apprentices. This insight allows us to better target engagement activities with small businesses.

The government pays the full training costs for young apprentices under 22 and eligible apprentices aged 22-24 undertaking apprenticeships with non-levy paying employers, also paying £1,000 to both employers and providers for apprentices aged 16-18, and for eligible apprentices aged 19-24.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of its targeted support to help SMEs offer apprenticeships.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

Small businesses are a vital part of our economy and apprenticeship system. They provide valuable opportunities in priority sectors for young people and apprentices from disadvantaged areas.

The government engages with small employers regularly to promote apprenticeships. During National Apprenticeship Week 2025, we held a round table with small and medium employers and other key partners to better understand the challenges they are facing in recruiting apprentices. This insight allows us to better target engagement activities with small businesses.

The government pays the full training costs for young apprentices under 22 and eligible apprentices aged 22-24 undertaking apprenticeships with non-levy paying employers, also paying £1,000 to both employers and providers for apprentices aged 16-18, and for eligible apprentices aged 19-24.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support access to a broad curriculum for state pupils.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

​The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. The Review wants to ensure a rich, broad, inclusive and innovative curriculum that readies young people for life and work. It is also looking closely at the key challenges to attainment for young people, and the barriers which hold children back from the opportunities and life chances they deserve.

​The Review’s final report and recommendations will be published shortly with the government’s response.

Fly-tipping and illegal waste dumping by criminal gangs

Local Housing Allowance

Release of Alaa Abd El-Fattah and the plight of British nationals arbitrarily detained abroad

Conduct of Sir Robbie Gibb and the independence of the BBC Board

Protections for animals and people

Local government and social care

Conduct of Samir Zitouni and Stephen Crean on the 18.25 Doncaster to Kings Cross train on 1 November 2025

Government proposals for mandatory digital ID

Administration of Sheffield Wednesday

Warm Homes Plan