Asked by: John Glen (Conservative - Salisbury)
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 improve (a) levels of access to and (b) the quality of (i) palliative and (ii) end of life care across England.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB) must commission. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications. The statutory guidance states that ICBs must work to ensure that there is sufficient provision of care services to meet the needs of their local populations
NHS England has also developed a palliative care and end of life care dashboard, which brings together all relevant local data in one place. The dashboard helps commissioners understand the palliative care and end of life care needs of their local population, enabling ICBs to put plans in place to address and track the improvement of health inequalities, and ensure that funding is distributed fairly, based on prevalence.
The Department and NHS England are currently looking at how to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all-age palliative care and end of life care in line with the 10-Year Health Plan.
We will closely monitor the shift towards the strategic commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services to ensure that services reduce variation in access and quality, although some variation may be appropriate to reflect both innovation and the needs of local populations.
Additionally, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, the Department is investing £3 million in a Policy Research Unit in Palliative and End of Life Care. This unit, launched in January 2024, is building the evidence base on palliative care and end of life care, with a specific focus on inequalities.
Whilst the majority of palliative care and end of life care is provided by National Health Service staff and services, we recognise the vital part charitable hospices play as well. This is why we are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care.
We are also providing £26 million in revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26. I am pleased to confirm the continuation of this vital funding for the next three financial years, from 2026/27 to 2028/29 inclusive. This funding will see approximately £26 million, adjusted for inflation, allocated to children and young people’s hospices in England each year, via their local ICBs on behalf of NHS England, as happened in 2024/25 and 2025/26. This amounts to approximately £80 million over the next three years.
Asked by: John Glen (Conservative - Salisbury)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made on improving (a) access to, (b) quality of and (c) sustainability of (i) palliative care and (ii) end of life care for people of all ages through the 10 Year Health Plan, published on 3 July 2025.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB) must commission. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications. The statutory guidance states that ICBs must work to ensure that there is sufficient provision of care services to meet the needs of their local populations.
NHS England has also developed a palliative care and end of life care dashboard, which brings together all relevant local data in one place. The dashboard helps commissioners understand the palliative care and end of life care needs of their local population, enabling ICBs to put plans in place to address and track the improvement of health inequalities, and ensure that funding is distributed fairly, based on prevalence.
The Department and NHS England are currently looking at how to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all-age palliative care and end of life care in line with the 10-Year Health Plan.
We will closely monitor the shift towards the strategic commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services to ensure that services reduce variation in access and quality, although some variation may be appropriate to reflect both innovation and the needs of local populations.
Additionally, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, the Department is investing £3 million in a Policy Research Unit in Palliative and End of Life Care. This unit, launched in January 2024, is building the evidence base on palliative care and end of life care, with a specific focus on inequalities.
Whilst the majority of palliative care and end of life care is provided by National Health Service staff and services, we recognise the vital part charitable hospices play as well. This is why we are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care.
We are also providing £26 million in revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26. I am pleased to confirm the continuation of this vital funding for the next three financial years, from 2026/27 to 2028/29 inclusive. This funding will see approximately £26 million, adjusted for inflation, allocated to children and young people’s hospices in England each year, via their local ICBs on behalf of NHS England, as happened in 2024/25 and 2025/26. This amounts to approximately £80 million over the next three years.
Asked by: John Glen (Conservative - Salisbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the recent death of Roman Catholic lay leader, Dr Carlos Cardenas Zepeda, in Nicaragua; and what steps she is taking with her Nicaraguan counterparts to ensure the improvement of detention conditions in the country.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As set out in the UK's statements at the UN Human Rights Council on 28 February and 23 September, the UK remains deeply concerned by the relentless attack on human rights in Nicaragua. We will continue to monitor developments closely and urge the Nicaraguan authorities to release all political prisoners immediately and unconditionally.
Asked by: John Glen (Conservative - Salisbury)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to implement regulation that increases risk appetite amongst investors.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government wants to see more people benefit from the higher returns and long-term financial resilience that investing can provide. That is why the Chancellor’s Leeds Reforms included bold actions to boost retail investment.
In particular, the Treasury is working closely with the FCA to roll out a system of targeted support in time for ISA season next year. This represents the biggest reform of the financial advice and guidance landscape in more than a decade, and will be a step change in the support available to consumers.
The Government will also move Long-Term Asset Funds (LTAFs) from the Innovative Finance ISA to the Stocks & Shares ISA from April 2026. This will give more access to the higher returns available from less liquid assets, while directing investment into productive assets that will drive economic growth.
In addition, the Government welcomes the industry-led initiatives to promote the benefits of investing to the public, and to reform how firms talk about the risks and benefits of investing.
Asked by: John Glen (Conservative - Salisbury)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of tax incentives on levels of investment in small and mid-sized quoted companies.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is committed to making the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a business, and understands how important it is for businesses to be able to access the finance they need to grow and develop.
That is why the Government provides three tax-advantaged venture capital schemes: the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS), the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) and Venture Capital Trusts (VCTs). The schemes provide a range of tax reliefs for investors, to encourage investment in small- and medium-sized companies at the pre-listing stage, which face the biggest challenges in accessing growth capital.
The Stamp Taxes on Shares framework also contains multiples reliefs and exemptions which are designed to boost liquidity and growth, particularly for small and medium-sized companies, such as the Growth Market Exemption.
Asked by: John Glen (Conservative - Salisbury)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the UK remains an (a) attractive investment environment and (b) listing venue for small and mid-sized quoted companies.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The government has delivered an ambitious programme of reforms to boost the competitiveness of UK markets, including for small and mid-sized quoted companies. This includes overhauling the Prospectus regime and Listing Rules, providing more flexibility to firms and founders raising capital on UK markets and reducing reporting requirements for the smallest companies.
At Mansion House 2025, the government published its Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy, setting out our ten-year plan for the UK to be the world’s centre of choice for financial services investment now and in 2035, with capital markets a core pillar of the strategy.
Asked by: John Glen (Conservative - Salisbury)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to help improve (a) public and (b) investor confidence in small and mid-sized quoted companies listed in the UK.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The government has delivered an ambitious programme of reforms to boost the competitiveness of UK markets, including for small and mid-sized quoted companies. This includes overhauling the Prospectus regime and Listing Rules, providing more flexibility to firms and founders raising capital on UK markets and reducing reporting requirements for the smallest companies.
At Mansion House 2025, the government published its Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy, setting out our ten-year plan for the UK to be the world’s centre of choice for financial services investment now and in 2035, with capital markets a core pillar of the strategy.
Asked by: John Glen (Conservative - Salisbury)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans her Department has to improve access to finance for small and mid-sized quoted companies.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The government has delivered an ambitious programme of reforms to boost the competitiveness of UK markets, including for small and mid-sized quoted companies. This includes overhauling the Prospectus regime and Listing Rules, providing more flexibility to firms and founders raising capital on UK markets and reducing reporting requirements for the smallest companies.
At Mansion House 2025, the government published its Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy, setting out our ten-year plan for the UK to be the world’s centre of choice for financial services investment now and in 2035, with capital markets a core pillar of the strategy.
Asked by: John Glen (Conservative - Salisbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of reports of (a) targeted attacks and (b) instances of (i) forced conversion and (ii) imprisonment of (A) Christians and (B) other religious minorities in Afghanistan; and what recent representations she has made to the authorities in Afghanistan on these matters.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Afghanistan is a focus country in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's (FCDO) freedom of religion or belief approach, announced on 8 July. FCDO officials regularly urge the Taliban to uphold human rights. We also engage directly with a range of Afghans to inform our policy and programmes. The UK Government supports the UN Special Rapporteur's mandate to document abuses, including those targeting religious minorities. Without inclusive governance that reflects Afghanistan's religious, ethnic, gender and cultural diversity, we will never see an Afghanistan at peace with itself and its neighbours.
Asked by: John Glen (Conservative - Salisbury)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce the level of annual reporting for small companies.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department is reviewing non-financial reporting requirements to simplify, streamline and reduce reporting obligations for all companies. These reforms aim to reduce administrative burdens on business, particularly for small companies. The review has already delivered legislation which increased the monetary size thresholds for micro, small, medium and large companies, as well as removing low value and duplicative reporting from the Directors’ and Director’s Remuneration Reports. A consultation on future reforms to modernise corporate reporting will be published in due course.