Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of proposed disability benefit changes on the length of NHS waiting lists.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

This Government has already started to bring about change to address health-related economic inactivity. We are injecting almost £26 billion of extra funding next year to get the health and social care system back on its feet and bring down waiting lists.

The Pathways to Work Green Paper set out our plans to reform the health and disability and employment support system. As we bring forward changes, we will ensure that the most vulnerable and severely disabled people everywhere are protected, so that they can live with dignity and security.

For those affected by the changes to PIP eligibility, we are consulting on how best to support this group, including how to make sure health and eligible care needs are met. For new claimants on the Universal Credit health element after April 2026, we are proposing that those with the most severe, life-long health conditions, who will never be able to work, will see their incomes protected.

As we develop detailed proposals for change, we will continue to consider the potential impacts of reforms.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of planned disability benefit changes on rates of school readiness.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The ‘Pathways to Work’ green paper, published in March 2025, sets out plans and proposals to reform health and disability benefits and employment support. The reforms will ensure the most vulnerable and severely disabled people are protected while ensuring everyone who can work receives the active support they need. This includes an extra £1 billion for personalised health, skills and employment support for sick and disabled people. The department knows that good work brings higher incomes, dignity and can significantly reduce the chances of falling into poverty.

The reforms to disability benefit were part of a wider range of reforms, and so the specific impact on school readiness has not been assessed.

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 impact of the proposed abolition of NHS England on (a) Genomics England and (b) the provision of whole genome sequencing to patients with rare cancers by the NHS Genomics Medicine Service.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Genomics is a powerful healthcare technology, aiding diagnosis and informing treatment for rare diseases and certain cancers.

Ministers and senior Department officials will work with the new Executive Team at the top of NHS England, led by Sir Jim Mackey, to jointly lead this transformation. As we work to return many of NHS England’s current functions to the Department, we will ensure that we continue to evaluate impacts of all kinds. Throughout the transition, we will retain our focus on patient care, ensuring continuity of care and that there are no risks to patient safety.

In addition, the National Cancer Plan for England will be published in the second half of this year, and will not be adversely affected by the work to bring the two organisations together. The plan will seek to improve every aspect of cancer care to better the experiences and outcomes for people with cancer, including outcomes for people with rare cancers.

Arms exports to Israel

Import of goods from Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory

Reductions to CrossCountry trains catering services

Negotiating rights for police officers

Future of the UK baking industry

Better Jobs, Better Services campaign

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