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Written Question
NHS England: Redundancy Pay
Thursday 5th February 2026

Asked by: James Frith (Labour - Bury North)

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 help ensure that NHS England staff who have taken partial retirement receive fair redundancy payments..

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

The Voluntary Redundancy (VR) scheme being used by NHS England is the national ‘model Voluntary Redundancy’ scheme approved by HM Treasury for use across the National Health Service. The national ‘model VR scheme’ directs that voluntary redundancy payments should be made in accordance with Section 16 of the NHS Terms and Conditions Handbook. These terms and conditions ​are developed and maintained through the NHS Staff Council for staff covered by Agenda for Change. They include provisions about how redundancy pay should be calculated in instances where an individual has taken some, or all, of the pension. NHS England has completed an Equality Impact Assessment on the implementation of the national model VR scheme.

Division Vote (Commons)
4 Feb 2026 - Climate Change - View Vote Context
James Frith (Lab) voted Aye - in line with the party majority and in line with the House
One of 316 Labour Aye votes vs 0 Labour No votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 392 Noes - 116
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 03 Feb 2026
Iran

"I thank the Minister for his work on this matter and for his statement. I want to raise the testimony of a constituent, a British-Iranian woman who fled Iran after being arrested three times for campaigning for the rights of women and children. She was raped and tortured in detention. …..."
James Frith - View Speech

View all James Frith (Lab - Bury North) contributions to the debate on: Iran
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 03 Feb 2026
Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Bill

"Of course I support the Bill. It is what we are here for: to do this at the stroke of a pen—not of any pen, but that of a Government pen—after years in opposition, hoping to be able to come in and enact the sort of change we are able …..."
James Frith - View Speech

View all James Frith (Lab - Bury North) contributions to the debate on: Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Bill
Division Vote (Commons)
3 Feb 2026 - Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Bill - View Vote Context
James Frith (Lab) voted Aye - in line with the party majority and in line with the House
One of 358 Labour Aye votes vs 0 Labour No votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 458 Noes - 104
Written Question
Eyesight: Testing
Monday 2nd February 2026

Asked by: James Frith (Labour - Bury North)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will consider extending NHS sight test eligibility criteria by listing learning disability as a risk factor.

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

Whilst adults with a learning disability do not automatically qualify for free National Health Service sight tests, they may qualify under other categories of exemption, for example being in receipt of income-related benefits or through the NHS low-income scheme.

To support children and young people with learning disabilities, free NHS sight tests are available within special educational settings across England, that choose to host a service.

Division Vote (Commons)
28 Jan 2026 - Youth Unemployment - View Vote Context
James Frith (Lab) voted No - in line with the party majority and in line with the House
One of 280 Labour No votes vs 0 Labour Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 91 Noes - 287
Division Vote (Commons)
28 Jan 2026 - Deferred Division - View Vote Context
James Frith (Lab) voted Aye - in line with the party majority and in line with the House
One of 287 Labour Aye votes vs 3 Labour No votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 294 Noes - 108
Division Vote (Commons)
28 Jan 2026 - British Indian Ocean Territory - View Vote Context
James Frith (Lab) voted No - in line with the party majority and in line with the House
One of 277 Labour No votes vs 0 Labour Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 103 Noes - 284
Division Vote (Commons)
27 Jan 2026 - Medical Training (Prioritisation) Bill - View Vote Context
James Frith (Lab) voted No - in line with the party majority and in line with the House
One of 301 Labour No votes vs 0 Labour Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 88 Noes - 310