Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his department has had with HM Treasury on funding for the delivery of the recommendations in the Hughes Report, published on 7 February 2024.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is carefully considering the work by the Patient Safety Commissioner and her report, which set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. This is a complex issue involving input from different Government departments. The Government will provide a further update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report in due course.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has set a timetable to ensure that people harmed by Valproate receive their Interim Payment, as recommended by the Patient Safety Commissioner in the report entitled The Hughes Report: Options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh, published on 7 February 2024.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is carefully considering the work by the Patient Safety Commissioner and her report, which set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. This is a complex issue involving input from different Government departments. The Government will provide a further update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report in due course.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
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 on the (a) nutritional value of and (b) recommended intake of yoghurt for (i) children and (ii) young people.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Government dietary advice is depicted in the United Kingdom’s national food model, the Eatwell Guide, and information is available through NHS.UK website.
Government advice encourages the consumption of milk and dairy foods, such as cheese and yoghurt, or dairy alternatives, as part of a healthy, balanced diet. Government advice highlights that milk and dairy foods, including yoghurt, are good sources of protein, calcium, and some vitamins, but are also a source of saturated fat. It also notes that for older children and adults, eating too much fat can contribute to excess energy intakes, leading to becoming overweight. It also notes that there is evidence that high intakes of saturated fat are associated with raised blood cholesterol and cardiovascular disease risk. Advice is therefore to choose lower-fat varieties of milk and dairy products, including yoghurt, where possible, or to eat smaller amounts of fuller-fat varieties in order to reduce the amount of saturated fat in the diet. It is also recommended to choose yoghurts or fromage frais that have no added sugars or are low in added sugar. Government recommendations do not provide a frequency of consumption for milk and dairy products.
United Kingdom dietary recommendations are based on independent advice from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN). In its 2023 report, Feeding young children aged one to five years, the SACN recommended that current UK dietary recommendations, including those for dairy products, such as yoghurt, as depicted in the Eatwell Guide, should apply from around the age of two years old, with some exceptions, including that dairy products, such as yoghurts and fromage frais, given to children aged one to five years old should ideally be unsweetened.
Up to the age of two years old, the current UK recommendation is that children can be given pasteurised full-fat cheeses and dairy products, including yoghurt, from the age of six months. After the age of two years old, it is recommended to introduce lower-fat dairy products.
No assessment has been made of the impact of including specific daily recommendations on yogurt intake in dietary guidelines.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
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 merits of including specific daily recommendations on yogurt intake in dietary guidelines.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Government dietary advice is depicted in the United Kingdom’s national food model, the Eatwell Guide, and information is available through NHS.UK website.
Government advice encourages the consumption of milk and dairy foods, such as cheese and yoghurt, or dairy alternatives, as part of a healthy, balanced diet. Government advice highlights that milk and dairy foods, including yoghurt, are good sources of protein, calcium, and some vitamins, but are also a source of saturated fat. It also notes that for older children and adults, eating too much fat can contribute to excess energy intakes, leading to becoming overweight. It also notes that there is evidence that high intakes of saturated fat are associated with raised blood cholesterol and cardiovascular disease risk. Advice is therefore to choose lower-fat varieties of milk and dairy products, including yoghurt, where possible, or to eat smaller amounts of fuller-fat varieties in order to reduce the amount of saturated fat in the diet. It is also recommended to choose yoghurts or fromage frais that have no added sugars or are low in added sugar. Government recommendations do not provide a frequency of consumption for milk and dairy products.
United Kingdom dietary recommendations are based on independent advice from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN). In its 2023 report, Feeding young children aged one to five years, the SACN recommended that current UK dietary recommendations, including those for dairy products, such as yoghurt, as depicted in the Eatwell Guide, should apply from around the age of two years old, with some exceptions, including that dairy products, such as yoghurts and fromage frais, given to children aged one to five years old should ideally be unsweetened.
Up to the age of two years old, the current UK recommendation is that children can be given pasteurised full-fat cheeses and dairy products, including yoghurt, from the age of six months. After the age of two years old, it is recommended to introduce lower-fat dairy products.
No assessment has been made of the impact of including specific daily recommendations on yogurt intake in dietary guidelines.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
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 including daily recommendations on yoghurt intake in dietary guidelines.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Government dietary advice is depicted in the United Kingdom’s national food model, the Eatwell Guide, and information is available through NHS.UK website.
Government advice encourages the consumption of milk and dairy foods, such as cheese and yoghurt, or dairy alternatives, as part of a healthy, balanced diet. Government advice highlights that milk and dairy foods, including yoghurt, are good sources of protein, calcium, and some vitamins, but are also a source of saturated fat. It also notes that for older children and adults, eating too much fat can contribute to excess energy intakes, leading to becoming overweight. It also notes that there is evidence that high intakes of saturated fat are associated with raised blood cholesterol and cardiovascular disease risk. Advice is therefore to choose lower-fat varieties of milk and dairy products, including yoghurt, where possible, or to eat smaller amounts of fuller-fat varieties in order to reduce the amount of saturated fat in the diet. It is also recommended to choose yoghurts or fromage frais that have no added sugars or are low in added sugar. Government recommendations do not provide a frequency of consumption for milk and dairy products.
United Kingdom dietary recommendations are based on independent advice from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN). In its 2023 report, Feeding young children aged one to five years, the SACN recommended that current UK dietary recommendations, including those for dairy products, such as yoghurt, as depicted in the Eatwell Guide, should apply from around the age of two years old, with some exceptions, including that dairy products, such as yoghurts and fromage frais, given to children aged one to five years old should ideally be unsweetened.
Up to the age of two years old, the current UK recommendation is that children can be given pasteurised full-fat cheeses and dairy products, including yoghurt, from the age of six months. After the age of two years old, it is recommended to introduce lower-fat dairy products.
No assessment has been made of the impact of including specific daily recommendations on yogurt intake in dietary guidelines.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the independent report entitled National review of higher education student suicide deaths, published on 21 May 2025, whether she plans to introduce a duty of candour for the higher education sector.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This government is committed to working with higher education providers, experts, and students to turn the findings of the national review of higher education (HE) student suicides into real, lasting improvements. That means better support for students, a commitment to openness with families, and a sector-wide focus on preventing these heartbreaking tragedies.
The department continues to work with the HE mental health implementation taskforce to develop guidance and drive adoption across the sector. The taskforce will examine recommendations from the review, including the call for a duty of candour, and work to understand the most effective way to bring about change to ensure greater transparency with bereaved families following a suspected suicide.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of implementing a place-based approach to early years services to support literacy.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government supports a place-based approach to early years services, recognising that local areas are best placed to understand and respond to the needs of their communities. Through the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme, the department is enabling local authorities to deliver integrated, evidence-based support that strengthens the home learning environment, one of the most effective drivers of early literacy. Our national campaign, ‘Little Moments Together’, encourages parents to chat, play and read with their children, helping to build language-rich home environments. These efforts are part of our wider ambition under our Plan for Change to give every child the best start in life, improving early communication and literacy outcomes to ensure every child is ready to thrive at school. In the recent spending review, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, confirmed that the government will continue to invest in and expand the Family Hubs programme as part of the Spending Review 2025.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential contribution of the yoghurt industry to economic growth in the dairy sector.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
No such assessment has been made. We have a vibrant, resilient and productive dairy sector which produces a range of healthy nutritious products which bring value of £5-£6 billion at farm level, and many times higher when that milk is processed into a diverse range of products and commodities, such as yogurt. This has helped make the dairy industry the UK’s largest agricultural sector accounting for 19% of total 2023 UK agricultural output, bringing significant value to our economy.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department plans to make an assessment of the potential impact of Universal Credit transitional protection rules on claimants who were previously in receipt of the severe disability premium.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The purpose of the Transitional Severe Disability Premium Element (TSDPE) is to protect certain customers entitled to a severe disability premium who moved to Universal Credit from legacy benefits following a change in their circumstances.
The TSDPE is subject to erosion and termination, in line with managed migration rules. From the second assessment period onwards, the amount of the TSDPE will be reduced by the addition or increase of any Universal Credit element, other than the childcare costs element or the housing element awarded to those who have previously been entitled to Housing Benefit whilst living in specified or temporary accommodation.
Customers who are moved to Universal Credit by the Department for Work and Pensions will receive an amount of transitional protection if their circumstances remain the same and their Universal Credit entitlement is less than the amount they received on their legacy benefit.
The difference will be included as an award of transitional element as part of the overall Universal Credit award for the first assessment period. This transitional element will also be subject to erosion and termination as outlined above.
There are no current plans to evaluate the impact of Universal Credit transitional protection rules.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of Universal Credit transitional protection rules on claimants migrating from legacy benefits.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
No such assessment has been made, however we publish Move to Universal statistics quarterly, which includes a breakdown of households paid Transitional Protection.. Stat-Xplore - Home -
All eligible customers who claim Universal Credit as part of managed migration will be considered for a Transitional Element, to ensure that they do not have a lower entitlement compared to their legacy benefits at the point they move to Universal Credit.
The Transitional Element is not intended to permanently replicate legacy benefit awards. Over time, it will be eroded by increases in other elements, except the childcare costs element and the housing element awarded to those previously living in specified or temporary accommodation, to gradually align the award with those of new customers who are in the same circumstances.