Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to undertake a review of ADHD diagnostic pathways, including the role of independent sector providers, to ensure assessments are evidence-based, clinically robust and consistent across England.

Answered by Preet Kaur Gill

The Government is committed to supporting people to have equitable access to safe, effective, and high-quality attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessment services, irrespective of their service provider. We recognise that, nationally in England, demand for assessments for ADHD has grown significantly in recent years and that people are experiencing severe delays accessing such assessments. The independent sector provides important service capacity within ADHD services.

It is the responsibility of integrated care boards in England to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including providing access to ADHD services in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines. NHS England has issued advice to local systems on ADHD service delivery and prioritisation, including guidance on managing service provisions, reviewing waiting lists, and providing patient support.

Departmental officials engage regularly with the Care Quality Commission on matters relating to health service quality and regulation. We are aware of concerns that have been raised regarding some ADHD assessment-only services and are considering these issues with relevant partners.

The Government announced on 4 December 2025 the launch of an Independent Review into Prevalence and Support for Mental Health Conditions, ADHD and Autism. The final report, due in the summer, will make recommendations on how the Government, the health system, and wider public services can respond to increasing demand for assessment and support more fairly and effectively so that people receive the right support, at the right time, in the right place. The next stage of the review will look at the question of what role the private sector plays in diagnostic services.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has held discussions with the Care Quality Commission regarding the regulation and inspection of independent providers offering ADHD assessment services; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Preet Kaur Gill

The Government is committed to supporting people to have equitable access to safe, effective, and high-quality attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessment services, irrespective of their service provider. We recognise that, nationally in England, demand for assessments for ADHD has grown significantly in recent years and that people are experiencing severe delays accessing such assessments. The independent sector provides important service capacity within ADHD services.

It is the responsibility of integrated care boards in England to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including providing access to ADHD services in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines. NHS England has issued advice to local systems on ADHD service delivery and prioritisation, including guidance on managing service provisions, reviewing waiting lists, and providing patient support.

Departmental officials engage regularly with the Care Quality Commission on matters relating to health service quality and regulation. We are aware of concerns that have been raised regarding some ADHD assessment-only services and are considering these issues with relevant partners.

The Government announced on 4 December 2025 the launch of an Independent Review into Prevalence and Support for Mental Health Conditions, ADHD and Autism. The final report, due in the summer, will make recommendations on how the Government, the health system, and wider public services can respond to increasing demand for assessment and support more fairly and effectively so that people receive the right support, at the right time, in the right place. The next stage of the review will look at the question of what role the private sector plays in diagnostic services.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has considered introducing a nationally recognised accreditation or registration scheme for providers undertaking ADHD assessments.

Answered by Preet Kaur Gill

The Government is committed to supporting people to have equitable access to safe, effective, and high-quality attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessment services, irrespective of their service provider. We recognise that, nationally in England, demand for assessments for ADHD has grown significantly in recent years and that people are experiencing severe delays accessing such assessments. The independent sector provides important service capacity within ADHD services.

It is the responsibility of integrated care boards in England to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including providing access to ADHD services in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines. NHS England has issued advice to local systems on ADHD service delivery and prioritisation, including guidance on managing service provisions, reviewing waiting lists, and providing patient support.

Departmental officials engage regularly with the Care Quality Commission on matters relating to health service quality and regulation. We are aware of concerns that have been raised regarding some ADHD assessment-only services and are considering these issues with relevant partners.

The Government announced on 4 December 2025 the launch of an Independent Review into Prevalence and Support for Mental Health Conditions, ADHD and Autism. The final report, due in the summer, will make recommendations on how the Government, the health system, and wider public services can respond to increasing demand for assessment and support more fairly and effectively so that people receive the right support, at the right time, in the right place. The next stage of the review will look at the question of what role the private sector plays in diagnostic services.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether measures are in place to monitor adherence by ADHD assessment providers to NICE guidelines and UK Adult ADHD Network recommendations.

Answered by Preet Kaur Gill

The Government is committed to supporting people to have equitable access to safe, effective, and high-quality attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessment services, irrespective of their service provider. We recognise that, nationally in England, demand for assessments for ADHD has grown significantly in recent years and that people are experiencing severe delays accessing such assessments. The independent sector provides important service capacity within ADHD services.

It is the responsibility of integrated care boards in England to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including providing access to ADHD services in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines. NHS England has issued advice to local systems on ADHD service delivery and prioritisation, including guidance on managing service provisions, reviewing waiting lists, and providing patient support.

Departmental officials engage regularly with the Care Quality Commission on matters relating to health service quality and regulation. We are aware of concerns that have been raised regarding some ADHD assessment-only services and are considering these issues with relevant partners.

The Government announced on 4 December 2025 the launch of an Independent Review into Prevalence and Support for Mental Health Conditions, ADHD and Autism. The final report, due in the summer, will make recommendations on how the Government, the health system, and wider public services can respond to increasing demand for assessment and support more fairly and effectively so that people receive the right support, at the right time, in the right place. The next stage of the review will look at the question of what role the private sector plays in diagnostic services.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Government has considered allowing Child Benefit to be split between two parents in cases where there are established shared care arrangements.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government recognises that decisions around Child Benefit entitlement can be complex for separated parents who share responsibility for a child. In these circumstances, the government encourages parents to agree between themselves who should receive Child Benefit. If agreement cannot be reached, HMRC uses its discretion to pay the parent who has greater responsibility for the child. Splitting the benefit or providing alternative financial support or tax relief would be challenging due to the varying nature of shared care arrangements.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Government has undertaken a review of the legislation governing Child Benefit payments to assess its adequacy in the context of modern family structures, including separated parents who share the day to day care of their children.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government recognises that decisions around Child Benefit entitlement can be complex for separated parents who share responsibility for a child. In these circumstances, the government encourages parents to agree between themselves who should receive Child Benefit. If agreement cannot be reached, HMRC uses its discretion to pay the parent who has greater responsibility for the child. Splitting the benefit or providing alternative financial support or tax relief would be challenging due to the varying nature of shared care arrangements.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing alternative financial support or tax relief for parents who provide substantial shared care for their children but are not the recipient of Child Benefit.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government recognises that decisions around Child Benefit entitlement can be complex for separated parents who share responsibility for a child. In these circumstances, the government encourages parents to agree between themselves who should receive Child Benefit. If agreement cannot be reached, HMRC uses its discretion to pay the parent who has greater responsibility for the child. Splitting the benefit or providing alternative financial support or tax relief would be challenging due to the varying nature of shared care arrangements.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the Child Benefit system in the context of modern shared parenting arrangements where a child spends substantial time living with both parents.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government recognises that decisions around Child Benefit entitlement can be complex for separated parents who share responsibility for a child. In these circumstances, the government encourages parents to agree between themselves who should receive Child Benefit. If agreement cannot be reached, HMRC uses its discretion to pay the parent who has greater responsibility for the child. Splitting the benefit or providing alternative financial support or tax relief would be challenging due to the varying nature of shared care arrangements.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of protections for private landlords where Universal Credit housing costs have been paid to tenants but the rent has not subsequently been paid to the landlord.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)

The default position in Universal Credit is that claimants should manage their own finances, including payment of their rent. This encourages self-reliance and eases the transition back into work.

Where a claimant is vulnerable or if they get into arrears, rent payments may be sent direct to their landlord, on their behalf. Decisions related to direct payments of rent must be based upon the claimant’s best interests.

Tenants remain responsible for their rental liabilities, even where payment goes straight to their landlord.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has plans to introduce a mechanism enabling landlords to recover unpaid rent where Universal Credit housing costs have been paid to claimants but not passed on to the landlord.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)

Such a mechanism is already in place. If a customer has a rent arrears of two months or more, for the accommodation they are currently occupying, a landlord may request a deduction from the customer’s Universal Credit.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what consideration her Department is giving to the treatment of VAT assessments already issued in respect of medicines supplied free of charge under early access schemes.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)

Under UK VAT law, some transactions where no money changes hands are treated as if a supply has been made – these are called deemed supplies. This is to keep the system fair if a business has reclaimed VAT on costs. This is a core and longstanding feature of UK VAT rules.

Whether VAT applies to medicines or treatments provided for free depends on the precise facts of each case.

I have heard concerns from firms and others that these rules have impacted the sector’s ability to donate medicines for free. On 23^rd June I announced that the Government would bring forward a new approach to address this issue, which will consist of either changes to the VAT rules or a reimbursement scheme.

The new approach will be effective for all donations made on or after 23^rd June.

HM Treasury officials are working with colleagues in DHSC to develop options at pace and engaging closely with industry partners to ensure a solution is fit for purpose.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to review the VAT treatment of medicines supplied free of charge to patients under early access schemes.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)

Under UK VAT law, some transactions where no money changes hands are treated as if a supply has been made – these are called deemed supplies. This is to keep the system fair if a business has reclaimed VAT on costs. This is a core and longstanding feature of UK VAT rules.

Whether VAT applies to medicines or treatments provided for free depends on the precise facts of each case.

I have heard concerns from firms and others that these rules have impacted the sector’s ability to donate medicines for free. On 23^rd June I announced that the Government would bring forward a new approach to address this issue, which will consist of either changes to the VAT rules or a reimbursement scheme.

The new approach will be effective for all donations made on or after 23^rd June.

HM Treasury officials are working with colleagues in DHSC to develop options at pace and engaging closely with industry partners to ensure a solution is fit for purpose.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, to which categories of medicines supplied free of charge HM Revenue and Customs has applied VAT, and for which periods assessments have been issued.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)

Under UK VAT law, some transactions where no money changes hands are treated as if a supply has been made – these are called deemed supplies. This is to keep the system fair if a business has reclaimed VAT on costs. This is a core and longstanding feature of UK VAT rules.

Whether VAT applies to medicines or treatments provided for free depends on the precise facts of each case.

I have heard concerns from firms and others that these rules have impacted the sector’s ability to donate medicines for free. On 23^rd June I announced that the Government would bring forward a new approach to address this issue, which will consist of either changes to the VAT rules or a reimbursement scheme.

The new approach will be effective for all donations made on or after 23^rd June.

HM Treasury officials are working with colleagues in DHSC to develop options at pace and engaging closely with industry partners to ensure a solution is fit for purpose.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the safeguards within the Debt Respite Scheme (Breathing Space) available to creditors, including private landlords, whose debts are subject to a moratorium.

Answered by Rachel Blake

The Breathing Space Scheme was established to support those in problem debt engage with professional debt advice, or to receive crisis treatment for a mental health condition, by providing temporary protections from creditor enforcement action.

The Government recognises that these protections have an impact on creditors, including private landlords, and the scheme therefore includes a number of safeguards to protect creditor rights. Creditors may request that a debt adviser reviews a breathing space if they consider that an individual debtor or specific debt does not qualify for the scheme. Creditors also have the right to apply to a court at any time for permission to take enforcement action in relation to a debt included in a breathing space.

The Government keeps the operation of the scheme under review to ensure it is operating effectively.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to review the value of the complex lens voucher supplements; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of that support in meeting the cost of spectacles for patients with complex prescriptions.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales

National Health Service optical vouchers are primarily targeted at children and individuals on low incomes to help with the cost of glasses and contact lenses. The NHS complex lens voucher is a separate contribution available to eligible individuals with complex prescriptions who do not qualify for a main NHS optical voucher on income grounds.

The value of NHS optical vouchers and associated supplements is kept under annual review as part of the Department’s usual fee-setting process. No decisions have yet been made on voucher values or supplements for 2026/27.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to review the value of NHS optical vouchers; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing those values to reflect changes in the cost of spectacles and contact lenses since April 2024.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales

National Health Service optical vouchers are primarily targeted at children and individuals on low incomes to help with the cost of glasses and contact lenses. The NHS complex lens voucher is a separate contribution available to eligible individuals with complex prescriptions who do not qualify for a main NHS optical voucher on income grounds.

The value of NHS optical vouchers and associated supplements is kept under annual review as part of the Department’s usual fee-setting process. No decisions have yet been made on voucher values or supplements for 2026/27.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will publish a breakdown of respondents to the SEND reform consultation by relevant characteristic, including families of children with education, health and care plans and disabled respondents, so that the representativeness of the responses can be assessed; and what independent scrutiny her Department will apply to information provided by local authorities during that consultation.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Following the closure of the formal special educational needs and disabilities consultation on 18 May, the department is now carefully reviewing and taking into account all responses.

We are committed to ensuring that every voice in this consultation is heard and carefully considered. Independent expert researchers are leading a consultation analysis, with the final consultation response to be published in due course.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average waiting time was for complaints submitted to the Independent Case Examiner on Universal Credit in the latest period for which data is available.

Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

As of 30 June 2026, Universal Credit cases being investigated by the Independent Case Examiner’s (ICE) office had waited an average of 28 weeks from receipt to the start of the investigation.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the interaction between planning restrictions on residential annexes and their treatment for council tax purposes; and whether he plans to review planning guidance where an annexe is treated as part of the main dwelling for planning purposes.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The planning and council tax regimes consider different matters when determining how an annexe should be categorised.

Whether a separate residential unit is created is a matter for the local planning authority to consider on a case-by-case basis and may depend, for example, both upon how the annexe is constructed, and how and by whom it is used.

The Valuation Office will assess whether a property is assigned its own council tax band. In doing this they will consider whether the property is a separate self-contained domestic property. The Valuation Office will consider this on a case-by-case basis.

There are no current plans to review planning guidance for annexes or how properties are assessed for council tax.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact on victims and survivors of permitting the early release of offenders convicted of child rape and other serious sexual offences against children.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

First, I would like to express my sincere sympathy with all victims of these appalling crimes. Last month, we announced £100 million to crack down on child sexual abuse, and we have made grooming a statutory aggravating factor to ensure sentences reflect the severity of harm. This sits alongside a full statutory inquiry to get to the truth and deliver justice for grooming gang victims.

This Government inherited a prisons system days from collapse. We had no choice but to take decisive action to stop our prisons overflowing and keep the public safe. Our landmark Sentencing Act 2026 will now deliver a more sustainable solution to the prison capacity crisis we inherited, including through the progression model which will help ensure there are always enough places for the courts to be able to send people to custody in order to keep the public safe. The worst thing for victims would be running out of prison space and not being able to lock up dangerous offenders.

The progression model amends release points for offenders on Standard Determinate Sentences. Over 18,000 offenders serving more serious sentences like Extended Determinate Sentences or life sentences will be unaffected by these reforms and will be kept in prison for as long as they are now.

Victims of serious sexual or violent offences where an offender receives a custodial sentence of 12 months or more are eligible for the Victim Contact Scheme (VCS). Victims who are eligible and opted into the VCS will continue to be able to make representations as to conditions they would like to see in the offender’s licence, such as exclusion zones and no-contact conditions.

Once released, offenders will be managed under strict licence conditions in the community. Offenders released on licence can be recalled if they breach their conditions or if they cannot be safely managed in the community.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many offenders convicted of child rape or other serious sexual offences against children have been released early under Government early-release schemes since their introduction; how many of these offenders were (a) resident in, or (2) released to the Maidenhead constituency; and what risk-assessment procedures were applied before their release.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

Data on SDS40 is published transparently and can be broken down by prison rather than constituency or offence (partly because many offenders have more than one offence). Table 8 provides data on SDS40 releases by prison: Standard Determinate Sentence (SDS40) release data: October 2024 to December 2025 - GOV.UK

SDS40 included an eight‑week implementation period which gave HMPPS and partners across the criminal justice system time to undertake release planning, prepare operational processes and work collaboratively to support the safe implementation of the measure.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will take steps to ensure that local authorities do not reach the same outcome as original decisions where the SEND Tribunal upholds a family's appeal against a school placement and orders a local authority to retake its decision; and what assessment she has made of the adequacy of that remedy for families seeking to secure a suitable placement.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department wants to protect parents' rights to express a preference for a setting, whilst ensuring that local authorities make placement decisions that consider the preference and needs of other children and young people in the area. In the government's proposal, if parents do not agree with a local authority's decision about the setting, they will be able to appeal to the Tribunal. The Tribunal would be able to consider whether the local authority's decision is reasonable. If they found against the local authority, they could order the local authority to reconsider. In the proposals, the Tribunal will not name the placement for the child or young person.

We are carefully reviewing responses to the ‘Special educational needs and disabilities reform: putting children and young people first’ consultation, including those about placement decisions, and considering how placement decisions will work in practice. Our aim is to ensure that families have robust independent escalation routes and to allow local authorities to make decisions in a more holistic way.

We will publish final proposals in due course.

Military housing

Local Housing Allowance rates

Defence Investment Plan

30 years of the Spice Girls

Ehlers Danlos Syndrome

Masala City, Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year

Hampshire Day 2026

Support for post offices

The Bookmonger, Bearsden Cross

Russian sanctions

International Court of Justice's July 2024 Advisory Opinion on the Occupied Palestinian Territories

Childhood dementia awareness and support

Found: were donated assets including a painting by Thomas Gainsborough valued at £0.75m, a painting by Joshua Reynolds

Found: Madders (Labour; Ellesmere Port and Bromborough) Charlie Maynard (Liberal Democrat; Witney) Mr Joshua Reynolds

Found: Antonia Bance; Chris Bloore; John Cooper; Alison Griffiths; Leigh Ingham; Charlie Maynard; Mr Joshua Reynolds

Found: Byrne (Chair); Dan Aldridge; Antonia Bance; John Cooper; Justin Madders; Charlie Maynard; Mr Joshua Reynolds

Found: , partner displays and UK-wide tours of major acquisitions, including Portrait of Mai by Sir Joshua Reynolds

Found: Reynolds Digital Research Resource project which unites leading UK institutions with significant Joshua Reynolds

Found: The Conservation Department completed the restoration of Lord and Lady Ely (M1670) by Sir Joshua Reynolds

Found: , partner displays and UK-wide tours of major acquisitions, including Portrait of Mai by Sir Joshua Reynolds