Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the impact of the national framework and operational guidance for autism assessment services (2023) on a) the quality of autism assessments and b) the average waiting time for autism assessments.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Hon Member has highlighted a number of key issues for the Department which cannot adequately be summarised in a single answer. However, he can find regular updates on that work by following our news feed on the GOV.UK website, or by attending sessions of departmental questions.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a system of quality control for autism assessments.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Hon Member has highlighted a number of key issues for the Department which cannot adequately be summarised in a single answer. However, he can find regular updates on that work by following our news feed on the GOV.UK website, or by attending sessions of departmental questions.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to ensure that autism assessments are a) comprehensive and b) completed in a timely manner.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Hon Member has highlighted a number of key issues for the Department which cannot adequately be summarised in a single answer. However, he can find regular updates on that work by following our news feed on the GOV.UK website, or by attending sessions of departmental questions.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of encouraging autism assessment providers to conduct face-to-face autism assessments.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Hon Member has highlighted a number of key issues for the Department which cannot adequately be summarised in a single answer. However, he can find regular updates on that work by following our news feed on the GOV.UK website, or by attending sessions of departmental questions.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the impact of face-to-face rather than remote autism assessments on the quality of such assessments.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Hon Member has highlighted a number of key issues for the Department which cannot adequately be summarised in a single answer. However, he can find regular updates on that work by following our news feed on the GOV.UK website, or by attending sessions of departmental questions.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to ensure that the National Institute for Health and Social Care Excellence recommendation of an autism assessment within 3 months of referral is fulfilled.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Hon Member has highlighted a number of key issues for the Department which cannot adequately be summarised in a single answer. However, he can find regular updates on that work by following our news feed on the GOV.UK website, or by attending sessions of departmental questions.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will take steps to ensure that all autism assessments result in a detailed report of the assessment, to allow sufficient evidence for a second opinion.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Hon Member has highlighted a number of key issues for the Department which cannot adequately be summarised in a single answer. However, he can find regular updates on that work by following our news feed on the GOV.UK website, or by attending sessions of departmental questions.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the impact of the quality of autism assessments on demand for reassessments.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Hon Member has highlighted a number of key issues for the Department which cannot adequately be summarised in a single answer. However, he can find regular updates on that work by following our news feed on the GOV.UK website, or by attending sessions of departmental questions.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of including controlled burning for wildfire prevention as part of the definition of favourable conservation status for blanket bogs.

Answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The 2025 Definition of Favourable Conservation Status for Blanket Bog describes conditions in which blanket bog thrives across its natural range. It states that both prescribed burning and wildfire can damage blanket peat hydrology. Fully functioning blanket bog is a self-sustaining climax habitat that requires no management intervention and is naturally resilient to wildfire. However, restoration measures may be needed on degraded sites to recover hydrological function. The Heather and Grass Management Code 2025 provides relevant guidance. The government recognises that prescribed burning may be necessary in limited circumstances, and managers can apply for a licence where wildfire risk is evidenced and no practical alternatives exist.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the introduction of the availability of statutory sick pay from the first day of sickness absence on trends in the levels of employment, specifically with regard to a) young people and b) low-paid workers.

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

Prior to the introduction of the Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) reforms, the Government published an impact assessment which can be found at Impact assessment: Improve access Statutory Sick Pay removing Lower Earnings Limit and waiting period. The Government will also monitor and evaluate the impact of the SSP changes and consider the experiences of employers and employees, as part of the post implementation review.

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 potential impact of the introduction of the availability of statutory sick pay from the first day of sickness absence on costs to businesses, particularly those relying on low-income workers.

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

Prior to the introduction of the Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) reforms, the Government published an impact assessment which can be found at Impact assessment: Improve access Statutory Sick Pay removing Lower Earnings Limit and waiting period. The Government will also monitor and evaluate the impact of the SSP changes and consider the experiences of employers and employees, as part of the post implementation review.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of a statutory sick pay rebate for businesses.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 20 July 2026 to Question UIN 17890.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what progress he has made on bringing forward legislative proposals on litigation funding agreements.

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

Litigation funding helps level the playing field, enabling individuals and small businesses to pursue claims against well-resourced opponents. We are pursuing the earliest legislative vehicle to deliver reforms that mitigate the effects of PACCAR by restoring certainty to the litigation funding market, protecting access to justice, and introducing proportionate safeguards to ensure claimants are treated fairly.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data sources her Department is using to assess whether smoking prevalence among people aged 14 to 30 years is on track to reach the modelled level of near-zero by 2050; and whether she has plans to publish smoking prevalence data for that age group to enable external assessment of progress.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department used a range of data sources to estimate and model smoking prevalence among those aged 14 to 30 years old. The main data sources used were Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use among Young People in England by NHS England Digital, Adult smoking habits in the UK by the Office for National Statistics, and the University College London Smoking Toolkit Study, all three of which are available at the following links:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/smoking-drinking-and-drug-use-among-young-people-in-england

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/healthandlifeexpectancies/bulletins/adultsmokinghabitsingreatbritain/2024

https://www.smokinginengland.info/graphs/top-line-findings

These data sources are publicly available, and while no single source provides smoking prevalence for those aged 14 to 30, the Department will monitor these data sources and any others we think are appropriate to evaluate the impact of the smoke-free generation policy.

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of successful Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund grant applicants were located in rural areas.

Answered by Vicky Foxcroft - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

The £11.9 million Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund funded over 80 projects across all nine regions of England, helping people get online safely and with confidence.

Funding was distributed broadly evenly across the regions, with each receiving between 10% - 13% of funded projects (approximately 17 - 23 projects as some projects span multiple regions). A number of these organisations focused on rural areas, such as Rural Media Charity, who supported older adults to improve confidence and access to online services in rural West Midlands communities.

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund funding allocated to each region in England.

Answered by Vicky Foxcroft - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

The £11.9 million Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund funded over 80 projects across all nine regions of England, helping people get online safely and with confidence.

Funding was distributed broadly evenly across the regions, with each receiving between 10% - 13% of funded projects (approximately 17 - 23 projects as some projects span multiple regions). A number of these organisations focused on rural areas, such as Rural Media Charity, who supported older adults to improve confidence and access to online services in rural West Midlands communities.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to Action 25 of the National Cancer Plan, which NHS trusts have been identified as requiring additional oncology training places; and what proportion of those areas are in rural versus non-rural communities.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Reducing inequalities in cancer care is a priority for this Government. As part of the National Cancer Plan for England, the Government committed to creating additional training places for cancer consultants in areas with the greatest workforce need, including rural and coastal communities. NHS England is currently working through implementation arrangements.

Work is progressing on the expansion of 4,500 resident doctor posts, and is currently for the initial 1,000, although it is not intended specifically to address Action 25 set out in the National Cancer Plan. NHS England uses an allocations methodology that recommends the establishment of additional posts in geographies that are relatively under-resourced. As rural geographies tend to have fewer postgraduate medical training posts per need-adjusted population than urban ones, such geographies would be prioritised for expansion when we increased numbers of training opportunities.

NHS England is currently working with regional colleagues, Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education and trusts to identify additional resident doctor posts. NHS England cannot yet confirm how many of these additional posts will be in clinical oncology or medical oncology, as trusts have yet to send a complete list of expressions of interest in each training programme. Following receipt of the expressions of interest supporting the initial 1,000 posts, we will be able to assess that expansion and provide additional advice for the expansion of the remaining 3,500 posts which will follow in 2028 and 2029.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for each of the last five financial years, what data is available on the uptake of a) the Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service, and b) the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme among patients living in rural versus non-rural areas.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

No data is centrally held on the uptake of Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service provision. The following table shows the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme’s uptake over the last five financial years:

The usage of the schemes cannot be disaggregated by rural/non-rural areas as the data is not collected in this way.

Found: the following individuals: • Karen Bradley, former Secretary of State for Northern Ireland • Julian Smith

Found: the following individuals: • Karen Bradley, former Secretary of State for Northern Ireland • Julian Smith

Found: like to be provided with the following information: Regarding the following meetings between Julian Smith

Found: Request I would like any correspondence (letters, emails, text messages, phone transcripts) between Julian Smith

Found: [email protected] 0161 5042375 7.4 0 1 Charge-m8 Delta ANACE1-230V/32A-T11/C Both Julian Smith