Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when statutory guidance will be produced on the duty to collaborate under the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024; and what plans the Government has to ensure its implementation following the decision to abolish PCCs and the upcoming changes to integrated care boards.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

We will work closely with the Home Office and the Department for Health and Social care as Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) and Integrated Care Board reforms unfold and this will inform our consideration of implementation of the Duty to Collaborate under the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024. The Ministry of Justice has recently announced that it will be investing £550 million in victim support services over the next three years – the biggest investment in victim support services to date.

We are taking this opportunity to review and strengthen the commissioning and delivery of victims’ services. In light of the announcement to abolish the PCC function in May 2028, we will also explore changes to the delivery of victims funding to ensure this is delivered in the best way in the future.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent discussions she has had with Ofcom on the disproportionate impact Physical Infrastructure Access costs have on the deployment of fibre optic broadband in rural areas.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

As the independent regulator for telecommunications, Ofcom is responsible for making regulatory decisions in the fixed telecoms sector, including on the Physical Infrastructure Access (PIA) product.

DSIT is engaging on this issue with Ofcom at an official level. In July, we published our draft Statement of Strategic Priorities for telecommunications, the management of radio spectrum, and postal services that sets out the Government’s view on infrastructure sharing in the fixed telecoms sector, including asking Ofcom to demonstrate greater transparency in how they calculate and set PIA prices.

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 introduction of digital and AI tools in mental health care enhances rather than replaces the work of qualified counsellors and psychotherapists, in line with guidance from professional bodies such as the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society.

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

To deliver the shift from analogue to digital that is set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will create a digital front door for mental health care through the NHS App to boost access to early support and empower people to take steps to manage their symptoms.

Digital and artificial intelligence (AI) tools in mental health care can enhance and complement the work of qualified counsellors and psychotherapists, not replace human-delivered care. These tools can help with routine tasks like managing appointments, answering basic queries, updating clinical notes, and booking sessions. This means that clinicians can spend more time providing care to patients and patients have an improved experience across the care pathway, for example through reduced waiting times. Any new tools are introduced within a comprehensive regulatory framework in the National Health Service, underpinned by rigorous standards for safety, effectiveness, ethics, and data protection.

Publicly available AI applications that are not deployed by the NHS, such as ChatGPT and Character.AI, are not regulated as medical technologies and may offer incorrect or harmful information. Users are strongly advised to be careful when using these technologies.

Found: transformation across the NHS to prevent VAWG and improve support for victims and survivors, working with Jess Asato

Found: I have asked Jess Asato MP to help me reform NHS culture so that whenever and wherever a victim or survivor

Found: The initiatives follow the appointment of Jess Asato MP as the government’s VAWG Adviser on health, and