Asked by: Katie White (Labour - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to reinstate the NHS and Care Volunteer Responders scheme within the new infrastructure of the National Health Service.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS Volunteer Responders programme was first established as part of the COVID-19 response and then adapted to respond to other organisational pressures. However, a model that worked well in a national crisis is no longer the most cost-effective way of facilitating the contribution of our much-valued volunteers. There are no plans to reinstate the scheme.
Whilst the NHS and Care Volunteer Responders service is ending, the NHS Volunteer recruitment portal is available, with 70 health and care organisations advertising opportunities. As the service grows, every National Health Service or voluntary organisation in health will be able to post opportunities and recruit volunteers to support their local communities, with a full launch of the service planned for later this year.
There are also over 72,000 volunteers who continue to support NHS trusts directly in over 300 different volunteer roles, which are unaffected by the closure of the NHS Volunteer Responders programme.
Asked by: Katie White (Labour - Leeds North West)
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 reduce waiting lists for ADHD treatment in Leeds North West constituency.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
It is the responsibility of the integrated care boards (ICBs) in England to make appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including providing access to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessment and treatment, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.
NHS England has established an ADHD taskforce which is bringing together those with lived experience with experts from the National Health Service, education, charity, and justice sectors to get a better understanding of the challenges affecting those with ADHD, including in accessing services and support, with the report expected in the summer.
For the first time, NHS England published management information on ADHD waits at a national level on 29 May 2025 as part of its ADHD data improvement plan, and has released technical guidance to ICBs to improve the recording of ADHD data, with a view to improving the quality of ADHD waits data.
The West Yorkshire ICB advises that it is taking steps to increase local capacity for ADHD assessments, including by having introduced new service standards and accreditation to ensure quality and consistency across its services. The ICB is also rolling out a new ADHD support offer, including a care navigator team working with individuals to understand their needs, suggest interventions, and connect them with appropriate services, so that people don’t need to wait for a formal diagnosis to access support and information.
Asked by: Katie White (Labour - Leeds North West)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Renters' Rights Bill on student housing (a) supply and (b) affordability in Leeds North West.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government recognises the high rental costs experienced by many students living in the private rented sector in Leeds North West and across the country.
The Renters’ Rights Bill will take practical steps to empower tenants to challenge unreasonable rent increases, with all rent increases taking place via an existing statutory process. Tenants who receive a rent increase that they feel is not representative of the market value will be able to challenge the increase at the First-tier Tribunal. This will prevent unscrupulous landlords using rent increases as a backdoor means of eviction, while ensuring rents can be increased to reflect market rates.
The Bill will prohibit a landlord or letting agents from inviting, encouraging or any payment of rent before a tenancy has been entered into. In addition, a landlord will only be able to require up to one month's rent in the window between a tenancy agreement being signed and that tenancy beginning. Once the tenancy starts, landlords will be unable to enforce any terms in a tenancy agreement that require rent to be paid in advance of agreed due dates.
The Bill will also prohibit rental bidding practices.
The proposed new ground for possession (Ground 4A) in the Bill is intended to facilitate the maintenance of the annual cycle of student letting for most typical students, namely groups of full-time students living together in Houses in Multiple Occupancy.
Less typical students who may require greater security of tenure, for example postgraduate couples who have put down roots in their area, will be able to enjoy the benefits of the new tenancy system the Bill introduces.
The Renters’ Rights Bill Impact Assessment looked across the package of reforms and received a ‘green’ rating from the Regulatory Policy Committee, meaning it is ‘fit for purpose’.
The government does not expect the Bill to have a destabilising effect on the robust student rental market. We will continue to work with good landlords and their representative associations throughout implementation.
Asked by: Katie White (Labour - Leeds North West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to tackle tool theft from tradespeople.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
We recognise the devastating impact theft has on victims who rely on the tools of their trade to earn a living.
We are continuing to work with the police-led National Business Crime Centre and representatives from policing to explore ways to tackle and prevent the theft of tools,including exploring the issue of unregulated tool sales at car boots sales.
We are making good progress including, following engagement with the Home Office and National Vehicle Crime Working Group, Thatcham Research agreed to add to their New Vehicle Security Assessment (NVSA), locks and alarms on the back of vans (previously NVSA only covers the cab area of vans) and a motion sensor on the load area of the van by February 2027. This is supported by crime prevention advice developed by the Police Crime Prevention Initiatives: Secured by Design - Vans & Tool Theft.
A key part of making acquisitive crime less attractive to criminals is making stolen goods harder to sell on. That is why we are working closely with policing and academic leads to examine what more can be done to tackle the disposal markets for stolen goods and reduce the ability to profit from this criminality.
Asked by: Katie White (Labour - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to support the Fur (Import and Sale) Bill.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In accordance with parliamentary convention, the Government will set out its formal position on this Bill when it receives its Second Reading.
Defra is continuing to build the evidence base on the fur sector. This includes commissioning our expert Animal Welfare Committee (AWC) to produce a report on what constitutes responsible sourcing of fur. The AWC report will add to our understanding of the fur industry and help inform next steps.
Asked by: Katie White (Labour - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people are claiming PIP and not in work in Leeds North West constituency.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
At the end of March 2024, 2,700 people in Leeds North West parliamentary constituency were in receipt of PIP but were not in employment.
Notes:
- HMRC data is used to determine whether a claimant was in employment. HMRC data covers up to the end of the tax year 2023/24, therefore March 2024 has been provided as the latest data available.
- Self-employment data from the financial year 2023/24 is not available until the end of the 2024/25 financial year, so self-employment data for the financial year 2022/23 has been used as a proxy for 2023/24 instead.
- People without any employment record in the HMRC data, as well as those who have been confirmed to not be in employment in the data, have been considered not employed.
- The data provided includes both normal rules and special rules for end of life claimants.
- The volume provided is rounded to the nearest 100.
Asked by: Katie White (Labour - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of proposed changes to PIP on people claiming benefits in Leeds North West constituency.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Estimates of the volumes of PIP claimants affected by the reform in the future are forecast for England and Wales only and therefore have not been broken down by Parliamentary Constituency or any other geographic area.
After taking account of behavioural changes, OBR predicts that 370,000 people in England and Wales who will be receiving PIP at the point of implementation of the four point requirement in November 2026, will have lost their PIP Daily Living entitlement by 2029/30. Of all PIP recipients at the point of implementation, 9 in 10 will not lose PIP during the subsequent 3 years from this change.
The proportion of people in receipt of Personal Independence Payment daily living component who were awarded fewer than four points in all daily living activities, by Parliamentary Constituency area, is available as part of the Pathways to Work Evidence Pack in Chapter 2, table 2.26.
There will be no immediate changes. Our intention is these changes will start to come into effect from November 2026, subject to parliamentary approval. Changes will only apply at the next award review after November 2026. The average award review period is about three years. At the award review, claimants will be seen by a trained assessor or healthcare professional and assessed on individual needs and circumstances.
We are consulting on how best to support those who are affected by the new eligibility changes, including how to make sure health and eligible care needs are met. PIP is not based on condition diagnosis but on functional disability as the result of one or more conditions, and is awarded as a contribution to the additional costs which result.
We have also announced a wider review of the PIP assessment to make it fair and fit for purpose, which I am leading. We are bringing together a range of experts, stakeholders and people with lived experience to consider how best to do this. We will provide further details as plans progress.
Asked by: Katie White (Labour - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to increase employment opportunities for university graduates.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
As part of the Get Britain Working package, the government is investing £240 million to trial new ways of getting people into work. The government will test new approaches and collect robust evidence on how to tackle the root causes of ill-health related inactivity, support young people who are not in education, employment or training, and help people to develop their careers.
Jobcentre Plus is fully equipped to offer advice to anyone who is looking for work, regardless of their background, profession or occupation. It offers comprehensive services including, job search advice, skills advice, CV and job applications support, help with retraining, and access to the thousands of new vacancies posted daily.
In addition to general support, Jobcentre Plus provides a range of tailored opportunities to improve individuals’ likelihood of entering or re-entering the labour market. This includes demand-led training for higher skilled jobs in specific sectors.
Jobcentre Plus provides guidance and good practice ideas to help individuals to direct their job search in the most effective manner. Jobcentres work closely with several organisations to support graduates to secure employment. Our strong network of partnerships with external training providers, universities and colleges enhances the support available. We have also improved online signposting for graduates, managers and professionals looking to use our services.
Asked by: Katie White (Labour - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of introducing mandatory labelling of food products which describe (a) how an animal has been reared and (b) the welfare standards.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
A consultation on proposals to improve and extend current method of production labelling was undertaken last year by the previous government. The Government’s response to this consultation is now available on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Katie White (Labour - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to support neurodiverse people into employment in Leeds North West constituency.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The government has committed to raising awareness of all forms of neurodiversity in the workplace. In January 2025, DWP launched an independent panel of academics with expertise and experiences of neurodiversity to advise us on boosting neurodiversity awareness and inclusion at work. The panel will consider the reasons why neurodivergent people have poor experiences in the workplace, and a low overall employment rate, making their recommendations in the summer.
The Department is dedicated to supporting employment opportunities for neurodiverse individuals in the Leeds North West constituency. Currently, two Disability Employment Advisers are conducting a neurodiverse trial designed to assist customers in progressing towards or securing employment. These advisers are stationed at the jobcentre and operate from an outreach office at Leeds City Hub on Fridays. They are available for both ad hoc drop-ins and scheduled, health-focused appointments that are longer in duration.
This initiative offers comprehensive support, including promoting independence, updating Health Adjustment Passports, and assisting with Access to Work claims. Additionally, the Disability Employment Advisers have delivered sessions at Scope for neurodiverse customers, concentrating on employability, digital skills, and confidence building.
The trial has shown encouraging outcomes, with 50% of participants advancing towards employment. We are also enhancing our partnerships with Autism Aim and Leeds Autism Services to provide both individual and group advocacy support.
To better accommodate neurodivergent individuals, those with high anxiety, and other vulnerable claimants, we facilitate a quiet hour at all our job fairs.