Asked by: Jodie Gosling (Labour - Nuneaton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of senior NHS leadership roles are held by Allied Health Professionals; and what steps he is taking to increase that proportion.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department and NHS England do not currently hold a comprehensive central dataset on the proportion of all senior NHS Board-level roles held by Allied Health Professionals (AHPs).
NHS England is actively seeking to increase representation from a broader range of professional backgrounds, including AHPs, across senior leadership pipelines. This includes aspiring Chair, aspiring Chief Executive, and aspiring Executive Director programmes. It also includes targeted development offers such as the Nye Bevan exceptional cohort for primary care, which is designed to support a broad primary care leadership pipeline, including AHPs and other primary care professional groups.
The 10-Year Health Plan sets the ambition for the National Health Service to have world-class leadership and management. The establishment of a new NHS College of Leadership and Management will provide the national infrastructure to support this and will help widen access to leadership development opportunities for a broader range of professional backgrounds, including AHPs.
Asked by: Jodie Gosling (Labour - Nuneaton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of burial sites on downstream water quality during heavy rainfall.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra recognises that poorly located or managed burial sites can, in some circumstances, pose a risk to water quality, particularly during periods of heavy rainfall. At the same time, we understand that burial grounds are deeply important places for families and communities, providing a lasting connection to loved ones, and any concerns about their condition or management can be understandably distressing.
The Environment Agency (EA), as a statutory consultee in the planning system, advises against locating new cemeteries in areas with highly vulnerable groundwater and seeks to prevent developments that could pose significant risks to the water environment.
Since October 2023, new cemeteries or extensions requiring planning permission must either qualify for an exemption or obtain a permit under the Environmental Permitting Regulations. These permits include conditions such as minimum distances from springs, watercourses and protected sites, helping to ensure burial sites are both respectful and environmentally safe.
Existing cemeteries established before 2023 are also expected to manage any potential risks to water quality. Where voluntary measures are not sufficient, permitting may be required. If pollution does occur, the EA will take proportionate and appropriate enforcement action, while seeking to ensure that any intervention is handled sensitively given the importance of these sites to local communities.