Joe Morris

It is crucial that LGBT+ people in all areas of Britain are safe, included and protected from discrimination. To achieve this we must end the recent politics of division. Work is already underway to fulfil the commitments set out in the new Government’s manifesto, advancing the rights and protections afforded to LGBT+ people.

These include:

• delivering a full trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices, offering protection from these abusive practices while preserving the freedom for people to explore their sexual orientation and gender identity, and also respecting the important roles of those supporting them.
• working with the Home Office to deliver our commitment to equalise all existing strands of hate crime to make them aggravated offences.
• working with the Department of Health and Social Care to improve services for LGBT+ people. This includes implementing the recommendations of the Cass Review and reviewing adult gender identity services to ensure that all trans people receive appropriate and high-quality care.
• modernising, simplifying and reforming the legal gender recognition process to remove indignities for trans people
• continuing our work with our international and European allies to advance LGBT+ rights and reinforce our position as a global leader on Human Rights once again.

In addition to this, Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary is now taking part in one of our biggest successes, the HIV opt out testing in emergency departments. During the last 27 months over 2 million HIV tests have been conducted through the programme, indicatively finding over 800 new HIV diagnoses and 540 people previously diagnosed with HIV but not in care.

We are also pleased that a number of primary care service providers in the North-East, particularly in South Shields and Jarrow, are part of the Pride in Practice scheme that is run by the LGBT Foundation. This scheme aims to improve the experiences of LGBT+ people when accessing primary care services. We would encourage primary care providers in the North-East to consider joining this scheme.

Finally, we recognise that LGBT+ people in rural communities have not always had access to the services they need. That is why we are working on ensuring that rural LGBT+ communities can access the support, healthcare and sense of community that larger cities enjoy. For example, our Conversion Practices Victim Support Service is a national service that anyone can access wherever they are in the country.

It is crucial that we ensure everyone is treated fairly when accessing services, so that they can thrive and reach their full potential.

Under the Equality Act 2010, businesses that provide goods and services to the public are required not to discriminate against disabled people regardless of location. The Act also places an anticipatory duty on service providers to make reasonable adjustments to improve access to premises/buildings and services so that disabled customers have the same access to goods and services and are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled customers including in rural areas. This duty is anticipatory, meaning that service providers are expected to foresee the requirements of disabled people and the reasonable adjustments that may have to be made for them. However, the Act recognises the need to strike a balance between the needs of disabled people and the interests of service providers. What is ‘reasonable’ will vary from one situation to another, depending on the circumstances of the case.

The Government is fully committed to the Equality Act 2010 and the protections it provides to people with disabilities across the country.

It is crucial that LGBT+ people in all areas of Britain are safe, included and protected from discrimination. To achieve this we must end the recent politics of division. Work is already underway to fulfil the commitments set out in the new Government’s manifesto, advancing the rights and protections afforded to LGBT+ people.

These include:

• delivering a full trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices, offering protection from these abusive practices while preserving the freedom for people to explore their sexual orientation and gender identity, and also respecting the important roles of those supporting them.
• working with the Home Office to deliver our commitment to equalise all existing strands of hate crime to make them aggravated offences.
• working with the Department of Health and Social Care to improve services for LGBT+ people. This includes implementing the recommendations of the Cass Review and reviewing adult gender identity services to ensure that all trans people receive appropriate and high-quality care.
• modernising, simplifying and reforming the legal gender recognition process to remove indignities for trans people
• continuing our work with our international and European allies to advance LGBT+ rights and reinforce our position as a global leader on Human Rights once again.

In addition to this, Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary is now taking part in one of our biggest successes, the HIV opt out testing in emergency departments. During the last 27 months over 2 million HIV tests have been conducted through the programme, indicatively finding over 800 new HIV diagnoses and 540 people previously diagnosed with HIV but not in care.

We are also pleased that a number of primary care service providers in the North-East, particularly in South Shields and Jarrow, are part of the Pride in Practice scheme that is run by the LGBT Foundation. This scheme aims to improve the experiences of LGBT+ people when accessing primary care services. We would encourage primary care providers in the North-East to consider joining this scheme.

Finally, we recognise that LGBT+ people in rural communities have not always had access to the services they need. That is why we are working on ensuring that rural LGBT+ communities can access the support, healthcare and sense of community that larger cities enjoy. For example, our Conversion Practices Victim Support Service is a national service that anyone can access wherever they are in the country.

The Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008 set out the essential requirements that must be met before a machinery product is placed on the UK market, in order to protect users of that machinery from any undue harm. This includes agricultural vehicles in scope.

As part of those existing requirements, machinery must be designed and constructed in such a way as to avoid any risk of fire or overheating posed by the machinery itself or by gases, liquids, dust, vapours or other substances produced or used by the machinery.

Small businesses are the beating heart of our high streets, our communities, and essential to our economic success. This Government will hardwire the voice of small business into everything we do.

Businesses can access support through their local Growth Hubs, which provide businesses of all sizes and sectors with advice and support throughout the business journey. Growth hubs shape their offer around the unique needs, whether town or country.

The Government provides further support for small businesses through Business Support Service, Help to Grow, the UK Export Academy, International Trade Advisors, the Export Support Service, and the British Business Bank.

The Government is working cohesively to address carbon leakage risk across international and domestic actions.

The UK’s current main measure to address carbon leakage is free allocation under the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), which is under review by the UK ETS Authority. The government is additionally introducing a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism on 1 January 2027, developing voluntary product standards and an embodied emissions reporting framework, and working to address carbon leakage risk internationally through existing fora such as the Climate Club and World Trade Organisation.

The Government publishes estimates of the sequestration of carbon in the Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry sector for a range of sector categories as part of its annual UK territorial greenhouse gas emissions statistics.

The transition from the old analogue landline network, also known as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), to new Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), which delivers voice calls over an internet connection, is industry led. Importantly, landlines are not being withdrawn, but their underlying technology is changing from PSTN to VoIP.

VoIP is more resistant to severe weather as the cables used are waterproof, and less prone to damage during a storm or other severe weather events. The PSTN lines are often in the air and fail during storm weather.

The Government has received a number of representations from MPs enquiring about the steps been taken to improve mobile connectivity in rural areas because of concerns over the impact of the PSTN switch-off. As well as maintaining our commitment to our target of 95% of the UK geography being covered by 4G, our ambition is for all populated areas, including rural communities, to have higher-quality standalone 5G by 2030.

The Government is engaging regularly with the telecoms industry to ensure consumers and sectors, including rural businesses, are protected and prepared for the upgrade process throughout the UK. A definition of vulnerable customers who may require additional support in the context of the PSTN switch-off was published in November 2024. It includes those who are telecare users and those dependent on their landline, including in rural communities.

The transition from the old analogue landline network, also known as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), to new Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), which delivers voice calls over an internet connection, is industry led. Importantly, landlines are not being withdrawn, but their underlying technology is changing from PSTN to VoIP.

VoIP is more resistant to severe weather as the cables used are waterproof, and less prone to damage during a storm or other severe weather events. The PSTN lines are often in the air and fail during storm weather.

The Government has received a number of representations from MPs enquiring about the steps been taken to improve mobile connectivity in rural areas because of concerns over the impact of the PSTN switch-off. As well as maintaining our commitment to our target of 95% of the UK geography being covered by 4G, our ambition is for all populated areas, including rural communities, to have higher-quality standalone 5G by 2030.

The Government is engaging regularly with the telecoms industry to ensure consumers and sectors, including rural businesses, are protected and prepared for the upgrade process throughout the UK. A definition of vulnerable customers who may require additional support in the context of the PSTN switch-off was published in November 2024. It includes those who are telecare users and those dependent on their landline, including in rural communities.

The transition from the old analogue landline network, also known as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), to new Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), which delivers voice calls over an internet connection, is industry led. Importantly, landlines are not being withdrawn, but their underlying technology is changing from PSTN to VoIP.

VoIP is more resistant to severe weather as the cables used are waterproof, and less prone to damage during a storm or other severe weather events. The PSTN lines are often in the air and fail during storm weather.

The Government has received a number of representations from MPs enquiring about the steps been taken to improve mobile connectivity in rural areas because of concerns over the impact of the PSTN switch-off. As well as maintaining our commitment to our target of 95% of the UK geography being covered by 4G, our ambition is for all populated areas, including rural communities, to have higher-quality standalone 5G by 2030.

The Government is engaging regularly with the telecoms industry to ensure consumers and sectors, including rural businesses, are protected and prepared for the upgrade process throughout the UK. A definition of vulnerable customers who may require additional support in the context of the PSTN switch-off was published in November 2024. It includes those who are telecare users and those dependent on their landline, including in rural communities.

The Secretary of State has received letters and emails from members of the public and Members of Parliament on the collapse of BetIndex Ltd, the operator of the novel gambling product Football Index. The collapse had a significant impact on former customers, and we recognise that many people were affected, and that for some people financial losses were significant. The previous Government commissioned an Independent Review in June 2021, conducted by Malcom Sheehan KC and which reported in September 2021. The review looked at how the company had been regulated, and identified areas for improvement for the Financial Conduct Authority and the Gambling Commission. All recommendations of the report have since been implemented.

The government has set an ambitious target to halve violence against women and girls in a decade. To achieve this, we plan to reduce the current levels of offending and reoffending and prevent abuse from happening altogether.

This focus on prevention also sits at the heart of the Young Futures programme, which will establish a network of Young Futures Hubs and Young Futures prevention partnerships.

Young Futures Hubs will be set up across the country, bringing together services to improve access to opportunities and support for young people at community level, promoting positive outcomes and enabling young people to thrive.

Young Futures Prevention Partnerships will bring local partners together to intervene earlier to ensure that vulnerable children at-risk of being drawn into a variety of crime types (including anti-social behaviour, knife crime and violence against women and girls) are identified and offered support in a more systematic way.

Officials from across government, including my department, the Home Office, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Department for Health and Social Care and the Ministry of Justice are working together using their various bodies of evidence of what works to shape Young Futures Hubs.

The department publishes the number of pupils in primary schools who are eligible for free school meals (FSM). The most recent figures, including regional level data, can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics.

Parliamentary constituencies are based on their boundaries at the time of the January school census each year, therefore, the 2024 Parliamentary boundaries do not reflect the changes made in the summer of 2024.

​Where statistics were published prior to the changes in Parliamentary constituency boundaries, they will be updated to reflect the new boundaries in the next publication of statistics. This is expected to be in June 2025 for the ‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics’ publication.

FSM data is published at school level. This can be combined with information from ‘Get Information About Schools’ (GIAS) to identify parliamentary constituency. GIAS currently reflects the changes made following the general election Parliamentary constituency changes. Updates to geographical data are made on a quarterly basis using data published by the Office for National Statistics.

The requested information is not held centrally.

The department collects information on children who are electively home educated (EHE) from local authorities on a voluntary basis. The latest figures can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/elective-home-education.

The department also collects data on children missing education (CME) from local authorities on a voluntary basis. These are children of compulsory school age not registered at school or otherwise receiving suitable education. The latest figures can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-missing-education.

Information on the number of children in EHE in Northumberland between 2021/22 and 2022/23 is available in the following table: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/d158d673-76e2-4aab-a0f2-08dcfae39e23. Information on the number of CME in Northumberland between 2021/22 and 2022/23 is available in the following table: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/d86675e8-9537-4727-a0ed-08dcfae39e23. As data was collected from local authorities for the first time in autumn 2022, information is not held for prior time periods. Additionally, EHE and CME data is not available at council ward level.

In autumn 2023/24, 15% of all EHE children had an additional requirement of special educational needs (SEN) support and 8% of all CME had an additional requirement of SEN support. This compares with 13% for the overall school population in January 2023.

The Children’s Wellbeing Bill will legislate for local authority registers of children not in school. This will include a duty on parents to provide the necessary information for these registers if their child is eligible. These proposals are intended to help local authorities identify all children not in school in their areas, including those that may require SEN support, so they can ensure children are receiving a safe and suitable education.

The UK has a high degree of food security, but the 2024 UK Food Security Report shows that food security cannot be taken for granted. Strengthening food security by supporting our farmers and food producers is a top priority for this Government.

While climate and geopolitical volatility have weakened aspects of food supply stability since 2021, food availability or the quantity of food available to the UK has been maintained thanks to continued resilience in food production and the global trading system.

Food production faces pressing risks from climate change and nature loss over the longer term. Defra is taking action to reduce this impact and support the continued production and supply of food for UK citizens. For example, the third National Adaptation Programme (NAP3), sets out a range of measures to improve resilience and adaptation to climate change across the agri-food chain.

Work is also underway to develop an ambitious food strategy. The strategy will set the food system up for long-term success and will deliver wide ranging improvements; through building resilience in the face of climate shocks and geopolitical changes, while protecting the supply chain which operates so effectively to feed the nation.

Tree planting along rivers, as well as woodland creation across hill slopes in the wider catchment, can help slow water flow and temporarily store water as part of natural flood management.

The England Woodland Creation Offer provides financial support for tree planting and incentivises woodland creation that reduces flood risk through supplementary payments.

The ‘Woodlands for Water’ project, supported by Defra, has been providing targeted facilitation to support landowners to access tree planting grants to support the creation of woodland along rivers, which can improve water quality, manage flood risks and boost biodiversity.

At last month’s Oxford Farming Conference, as part of the government’s New Deal for Farmers, the Government announced a series of reforms, including, where possible, backing British produce. It was also announced that for the first time ever, the government will review food currently bought in the public sector and where it is bought from. This work will start right away and be a significant first step in understanding how to capitalize on the Government’s purchasing power: informing any changes to public sector food procurement policies in due course.

Environmental Land Management schemes and other Government grant payments create incentives for land managers to adopt sustainable farming practices, which provide benefits for agricultural productivity, biodiversity and resilience to climate events. For example, we are providing funding for farmers to implement natural flood management measures on their land, boosting resilience and supporting flood preparedness. Funding for soil health actions can help reduce the impacts of drought and flooding.

The record £2.65 billion floods investment programme also delivers natural flood management, with the impact of a project on agricultural land included as part of the funding calculator. In addition, the government published a rapid evidence assessment in 2024 of flooding and coastal erosion on agricultural land and businesses, and this discusses the evidence for agriculture as a provider of natural flood management.

Our ambitious food strategy will set and deliver clear long-term outcomes that create a healthier, fairer, and more resilient food system, and in doing so will consider elements of the food system that can contribute towards those outcomes.

Pursuant to my response to UIN 35411, the Department for Transport and Active Travel England (ATE) are working with local authorities to boost walking, wheeling and cycling across England.

It is for local authorities to decide on where to invest in their local transport networks. Funding awarded by ATE can be used by local authorities to improve the safety of existing infrastructure, deliver new active travel projects and for the development of walking and cycling networks. As part of the National Parks project, ATE is working with Northumberland National Park Authority to develop an active travel network plan.

In addition to funding, ATE provides training for local authority staff to enable the delivery of high-quality walking and cycling schemes, as well as design workshops and design assurance reviews of schemes under development. ATE is working closely with the North East Combined Authority to operate a Design Review Panel to improve the quality and safety of schemes within the region.

Pursuant to my response to UIN 35411, the Department for Transport and Active Travel England (ATE) are working with local authorities to boost walking, wheeling and cycling across England.

It is for local authorities to decide on where to invest in their local transport networks. Funding awarded by ATE can be used by local authorities to improve the safety of existing infrastructure, deliver new active travel projects and for the development of walking and cycling networks. As part of the National Parks project, ATE is working with Northumberland National Park Authority to develop an active travel network plan.

In addition to funding, ATE provides training for local authority staff to enable the delivery of high-quality walking and cycling schemes, as well as design workshops and design assurance reviews of schemes under development. ATE is working closely with the North East Combined Authority to operate a Design Review Panel to improve the quality and safety of schemes within the region.

Pursuant to my response to UIN 35411, the Department for Transport and Active Travel England (ATE) are working with local authorities to boost walking, wheeling and cycling across England.

It is for local authorities to decide on where to invest in their local transport networks. Funding awarded by ATE can be used by local authorities to improve the safety of existing infrastructure, deliver new active travel projects and for the development of walking and cycling networks. As part of the National Parks project, ATE is working with Northumberland National Park Authority to develop an active travel network plan.

In addition to funding, ATE provides training for local authority staff to enable the delivery of high-quality walking and cycling schemes, as well as design workshops and design assurance reviews of schemes under development. ATE is working closely with the North East Combined Authority to operate a Design Review Panel to improve the quality and safety of schemes within the region.

On 12 February, the Department for Transport and Active Travel England (ATE) announced almost £300 million of funding to boost walking, wheeling and cycling with £222.5 million awarded to local authorities across England. This includes over £9.3 million of funding in 2024/25 to 2025/26 for the North- East Combined Authority (NECA). It will be for NECA to decide on priorities for investment across its local transport network.

ATE also funds a range of wider projects to enable more active travel, including Bikeability cycle training, Walk to School Outreach and Bike Bike Revival activities. ATE also provides funding to Sustrans to maintain and upgrade the National Cycle Network, which includes routes in the North-East.

The Government is committed to accelerating the roll-out of affordable charging infrastructure so that everyone, no matter where they live or work, can make the transition to an electric vehicle (EV). As of January 2025, the Government and Industry have supported the installation of 63,389 publicly available charging devices in England.

The Government’s £381 million Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund, which is expected to deliver over 100,000 public chargepoints, supports local authorities in England to work with industry and transform the availability of affordable, low-powered EV charging for drivers without off-street parking. The North-East Combined Authority, which includes Hexham constituency, Northumberland County Council and Newcastle City Council, was allocated £17.2m capital and resource funding through the Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund to increase the number of local public chargepoints across the area. In total, the broader North-East region has received over £22.4m capital and almost £2m resource funding under LEVI to improve regional charging infrastructure.

The following table shows the number of pharmacies on 31 December 2024, using the December 2024 NHS Pharmaceutical list:

The following table shows the number of pharmacies that opened and closed between 31 March 2022 and 31 March 2023:

We are aware of the reduction in the number of pharmacies in recent years and recognise that pharmacy closures can impact on local communities. Local authorities are required to undertake a pharmaceutical needs assessment (PNA) every three years to assess whether their population is adequately served and must keep these assessments under review. Integrated care boards give regard to the PNAs when reviewing applications from new contractors. Contractors can also apply to open a new pharmacy to offer benefits to patients that were not foreseen by the PNA.

Patients can also access approximately 400 Distance Selling Pharmacies who must operate nationally and send medicines to patients’ homes free of charge. In rural areas, Dispensing Doctors can also supply medicines.

There is, at present, no single, established dataset that can be used to monitor waiting times for the assessment and diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) nationally or for individual organisations or geographies in England. Although the data requested is not held centrally, the relevant information may be held locally by individual National Health Service trusts or commissioners.

We are supporting a taskforce that NHS England has established to look at ADHD service provision and its impact on patient experience. The taskforce is bringing together expertise from across a broad range of sectors, including the NHS, education, and justice, to better understand the challenges affecting people with ADHD, including timely access to services and support.

In conjunction with the taskforce, NHS England has carried out detailed work to develop a data improvement plan, understand the provider and commissioning landscape, and capture examples from integrated care boards (ICB) who are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services.

The NHS North East and North Cumbria ICB advises that it has developed a Mental Health, Learning Disability and Neurodiversity Improvement Plan, which is available publicly at the following link:

https://northeastnorthcumbria.nhs.uk/about-us/corporate-information/governance/meetings/board-meeting-held-in-public-tuesday-1-october-2024/

The ICB has advised that it has established an all-age ADHD and autism working group which will be responsible for understanding the current pathways and for making recommendations to improve the pathways and capacity in future. The ICB’s review of the ADHD pathway commenced in December 2024 and will include stakeholders from the NHS, local authorities, and the community and voluntary sector, and will also consider the best way to engage people with lived experience of ADHD. The ICB also continues to work across the region with local providers of ADHD services and local authorities on the transformation of these pathways, including the 'waiting well' offer for support.

There is, at present, no single, established dataset that can be used to monitor waiting times for the assessment and diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) nationally or for individual organisations or geographies in England. Although the data requested is not held centrally, the relevant information may be held locally by individual National Health Service trusts or commissioners.

We are supporting a taskforce that NHS England has established to look at ADHD service provision and its impact on patient experience. The taskforce is bringing together expertise from across a broad range of sectors, including the NHS, education, and justice, to better understand the challenges affecting people with ADHD, including timely access to services and support.

In conjunction with the taskforce, NHS England has carried out detailed work to develop a data improvement plan, understand the provider and commissioning landscape, and capture examples from integrated care boards (ICB) who are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services.

The NHS North East and North Cumbria ICB advises that it has developed a Mental Health, Learning Disability and Neurodiversity Improvement Plan, which is available publicly at the following link:

https://northeastnorthcumbria.nhs.uk/about-us/corporate-information/governance/meetings/board-meeting-held-in-public-tuesday-1-october-2024/

The ICB has advised that it has established an all-age ADHD and autism working group which will be responsible for understanding the current pathways and for making recommendations to improve the pathways and capacity in future. The ICB’s review of the ADHD pathway commenced in December 2024 and will include stakeholders from the NHS, local authorities, and the community and voluntary sector, and will also consider the best way to engage people with lived experience of ADHD. The ICB also continues to work across the region with local providers of ADHD services and local authorities on the transformation of these pathways, including the 'waiting well' offer for support.

There is, at present, no single, established dataset that can be used to monitor waiting times for the assessment and diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) nationally or for individual organisations or geographies in England. Although the data requested is not held centrally, the relevant information may be held locally by individual National Health Service trusts or commissioners.

We are supporting a taskforce that NHS England has established to look at ADHD service provision and its impact on patient experience. The taskforce is bringing together expertise from across a broad range of sectors, including the NHS, education, and justice, to better understand the challenges affecting people with ADHD, including timely access to services and support.

In conjunction with the taskforce, NHS England has carried out detailed work to develop a data improvement plan, understand the provider and commissioning landscape, and capture examples from integrated care boards (ICB) who are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services.

The NHS North East and North Cumbria ICB advises that it has developed a Mental Health, Learning Disability and Neurodiversity Improvement Plan, which is available publicly at the following link:

https://northeastnorthcumbria.nhs.uk/about-us/corporate-information/governance/meetings/board-meeting-held-in-public-tuesday-1-october-2024/

The ICB has advised that it has established an all-age ADHD and autism working group which will be responsible for understanding the current pathways and for making recommendations to improve the pathways and capacity in future. The ICB’s review of the ADHD pathway commenced in December 2024 and will include stakeholders from the NHS, local authorities, and the community and voluntary sector, and will also consider the best way to engage people with lived experience of ADHD. The ICB also continues to work across the region with local providers of ADHD services and local authorities on the transformation of these pathways, including the 'waiting well' offer for support.

There is, at present, no single, established dataset that can be used to monitor waiting times for the assessment and diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) nationally or for individual organisations or geographies in England. Although the data requested is not held centrally, the relevant information may be held locally by individual National Health Service trusts or commissioners.

We are supporting a taskforce that NHS England has established to look at ADHD service provision and its impact on patient experience. The taskforce is bringing together expertise from across a broad range of sectors, including the NHS, education, and justice, to better understand the challenges affecting people with ADHD, including timely access to services and support.

In conjunction with the taskforce, NHS England has carried out detailed work to develop a data improvement plan, understand the provider and commissioning landscape, and capture examples from integrated care boards (ICB) who are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services.

The NHS North East and North Cumbria ICB advises that it has developed a Mental Health, Learning Disability and Neurodiversity Improvement Plan, which is available publicly at the following link:

https://northeastnorthcumbria.nhs.uk/about-us/corporate-information/governance/meetings/board-meeting-held-in-public-tuesday-1-october-2024/

The ICB has advised that it has established an all-age ADHD and autism working group which will be responsible for understanding the current pathways and for making recommendations to improve the pathways and capacity in future. The ICB’s review of the ADHD pathway commenced in December 2024 and will include stakeholders from the NHS, local authorities, and the community and voluntary sector, and will also consider the best way to engage people with lived experience of ADHD. The ICB also continues to work across the region with local providers of ADHD services and local authorities on the transformation of these pathways, including the 'waiting well' offer for support.