Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the needs of people living with Huntington’s disease and other long-term neurological conditions are considered in the development of neighbourhood health plans.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, including Huntington’s Disease. The UK Rare Diseases Framework sets out four priorities collaboratively developed with the rare disease community. These include getting a final diagnosis faster, increasing awareness of rare diseases among healthcare professionals, better coordination of care, and improving access to specialist care, treatments, and drugs. We published the fifth annual England action plan in February 2026 to report on the steps taken to advance these priorities.
The Neighbourhood Health Service will ensure that people can better access care that is joined up, personalised, and designed to proactively meet their needs. It will improve access by making it easier to speak to a general practitioner, providing more care closer to where people live, including in Neighbourhood Health Centres, and move us towards a fully digitally enabled health service.
Integrated neighbourhood teams will support people with conditions like Huntington’s Disease that require specialist care by considering their needs holistically, with reference to health, care, and wider needs.
In the Autumn budget, the Government announced its commitment to deliver 250 neighbourhood health centres, with 120 delivered by 2030, through a mix of public private partnership and public capital. On 26 March 2026, we announced Wave 1 of Neighbourhood Health Centre schemes, with 27 sites across England selected to bring care closer to home 12 hours a day, six days a week, backed by £50 million.
Neighbourhood health centres will be the place to go for most health needs in every community. Integrated care boards (ICBs) and local authorities will determine the particular mix of services shaped by local population needs. These will be designed to reflect the priorities and requirements of each community, including the needs of people with Huntington’s disease where appropriate.
In March 2026, we published the Neighbourhood Health Framework to support this service planning. On 15 April 2026, we also published the Neighbourhood Health Centres Guidance and Specification to support regions and ICBs to develop their neighbourhood health estate strategies and pipelines.
Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed neighbourhood health service on care coordination for people living with Huntington’s disease and other long-term neurological conditions.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, including Huntington’s Disease. The UK Rare Diseases Framework sets out four priorities collaboratively developed with the rare disease community. These include getting a final diagnosis faster, increasing awareness of rare diseases among healthcare professionals, better coordination of care, and improving access to specialist care, treatments, and drugs. We published the fifth annual England action plan in February 2026 to report on the steps taken to advance these priorities.
The Neighbourhood Health Service will ensure that people can better access care that is joined up, personalised, and designed to proactively meet their needs. It will improve access by making it easier to speak to a general practitioner, providing more care closer to where people live, including in Neighbourhood Health Centres, and move us towards a fully digitally enabled health service.
Integrated neighbourhood teams will support people with conditions like Huntington’s Disease that require specialist care by considering their needs holistically, with reference to health, care, and wider needs.
In the Autumn budget, the Government announced its commitment to deliver 250 neighbourhood health centres, with 120 delivered by 2030, through a mix of public private partnership and public capital. On 26 March 2026, we announced Wave 1 of Neighbourhood Health Centre schemes, with 27 sites across England selected to bring care closer to home 12 hours a day, six days a week, backed by £50 million.
Neighbourhood health centres will be the place to go for most health needs in every community. Integrated care boards (ICBs) and local authorities will determine the particular mix of services shaped by local population needs. These will be designed to reflect the priorities and requirements of each community, including the needs of people with Huntington’s disease where appropriate.
In March 2026, we published the Neighbourhood Health Framework to support this service planning. On 15 April 2026, we also published the Neighbourhood Health Centres Guidance and Specification to support regions and ICBs to develop their neighbourhood health estate strategies and pipelines.
Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the accessibility and effectiveness of the Personal Independence Payment system for carers supporting disabled family members; and what steps he is taking to reduce delays, the number of repeated assessments, and improve administration, including communication with claimants on the progress of applications.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
It is important that all claimants can access our services and that they do not face obstacles in applying and communicating with the Department and its providers, either personally or through a third party such as a carer.
We are committed to ensuring people can access financial support through PIP in a timely manner. Reducing customer journey times for PIP claimants is a priority for the Department and we are working constantly to make improvements to our service. We always aim to make an award decision as quickly as possible, taking into account the need to review all available evidence, including that from the claimant and claimants are kept informed and updated at each stage of the process, including through our improved text message service.
Since 6 April 2026, we have reduced the frequency of repeated assessments in PIP. For most claimants over 25, their first review will be after a minimum of 3 years and, assuming they remain entitled, 5 years for their next review.
Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will take steps to ensure the revised Equality Act code of practice for services, public functions and associations allows organisations, such as Girl Guides, to operate on a trans-inclusive basis.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
We have just received the updated draft Code of Practice from the EHRC. We cannot comment on the contents of the Code during the pre-election period, but we intend to lay it as soon as practicable after the elections in May.
We have always been clear that associations should set their policies in line with the law. If associations are uncertain as to how to apply the Equality Act 2010, they should obtain specialist legal advice.
Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that children receive a minimum of two hours of high-quality physical education per week; and are supported to be physically active for at least 60 minutes a day.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Spen Valley to the answer of 29 April 2026 to Question 128860.
Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that the introduction of School Sports Partnerships and the new Enrichment Framework is supported by sustained levels of funding.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
My right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister announced in June 2025 the establishment of a new PE and School Sport Partnerships Network to ensure all children and young people have access to high quality PE and extracurricular sport. Details on the PE and School Sports Partnerships funding will be confirmed in due course.
The Enrichment Framework will be published this academic year, accompanied by a range of support to help schools’ enrichment offers. We will work with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on the National Youth Strategy implementation, including the £22.5 million Enrichment Expansion Programme and £132.5 million through the ‘Every Child Can’ Dormant Assets funding. This is in addition to international enrichment opportunities through the UK’s association to the EU’s Erasmus+ programme, continuing investment in our national network of Music Hubs, a new £750,000 chess support programme, and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s flagship ‘TechYouth’ programme.
Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what assessment she has made of the risks to trans-inclusive third sector organisations from potential increases in levels of litigation following the For Women Scotland v. The Scottish Ministers Supreme Court judgement.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
It has not proved possible to respond to the Hon Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that public investment in sports facilities supports a balanced range of sports, including court-based activities such as tennis and padel, to maximise participation among women, disabled people, and inactive communities.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is investing at least £400 million in new and upgraded grassroots sport facilities over the next four years, promoting health, wellbeing and community cohesion, including by removing the barriers to physical activity for under-represented groups, such as women and girls and people with disabilities.
£15 million is being invested into new delivery models across England in 2026/27, to allow more people to participate in their chosen sports. At least £2.5 million of that will be invested through the Lawn Tennis Association into covered courts in England for tennis, padel and other activities, and additional funding will also enable a wider range of sporting bodies to trial innovative funding pathways.
Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to review the level of Penalty Charge Notices for parking offences outside London.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport recognises that there is a published report from Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council, following its August 2025 trial of higher PCN levels, as well as research carried out by the British Parking Association, the Local Government Association and other key stakeholders. The Department is looking into the issue and these findings and recommendations will be carefully considered before any decisions are taken.
Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of fuel costs on the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector; and what steps he is taking to support VCSE organisations delivering frontline services.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Fuel markets are governed by competition and consumer law, overseen by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The Government and the CMA are closely monitoring fuel and heating oil prices in light of instability in the Middle East, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer and my Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State recently met with fuel retailers to set out a clear message: unfair practices will not be tolerated.
We are providing over £50 million of immediate support for vulnerable heating oil customers, helping those that are most exposed. The government has also introduced the statutory Fuel Finder scheme, which will increase transparency for UK road fuel prices and the CMA have the power to take enforcement action for non-compliance.