Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure SEND students in mainstream schools receive adequate additional support in their subjects.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department is delivering a new, world-leading school curriculum that raises standards for all children and embeds inclusion for all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), or need additional stretch.

To support the development of a more inclusive mainstream system, we are investing £500 million per financial year over the next three years through an Inclusive Mainstream Fund (IMF) to support schools, colleges and early years settings with upfront funding to help them move towards becoming more inclusive by design.

We have published guidance for school leaders on how to develop an Inclusion Strategy and use their IMF allocations alongside core budgets to more effectively invest in inclusive approaches and activities that address barriers to learning and participation.

Additionally, we are giving teachers better tools to identify and support needs early, while ensuring specialist settings meet the needs of pupils with the most complex needs. To support this, on 16 January the government announced a new training package, backed by £200 million of new funding, so that all teachers, educators, teaching assistants, support staff and leaders across early years, schools and post-16 settings can be trained to support pupils with SEND.

The department is also investing around £1.8 billion over three years in a new Experts at Hand offer, providing mainstream settings with access to specialist expertise from health and education professionals to strengthen staff capability, improve support for pupils with SEND in the classroom, and enable earlier intervention where needs arise.

We will support schools to respond to pupils’ learning and development needs with evidence‑informed resources, helping make mainstream education more inclusive and improving outcomes. This aligns with our commitment to deliver a high‑quality, ambitious curriculum for every child, including those with SEND.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what criteria his Department has for deciding on locations for data centres.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)

The Government does not determine locations for individual data centres. Decisions on where to locate data centres are made by developers, taking account of factors such as access to power, connectivity, land availability, environmental considerations, and local planning policy. The Government’s AI Growth Zones (AIGZ) programme supports projects in areas with the energy, land and infrastructure needed to support future AI and data centre investment, while ensuring impacts on local communities and the environment are appropriately considered.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her department has made of anticipated future trends in educational attainment at (a) primary and (b) secondary level in the Ashfield constituency.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Attainment data for both key stage 2 and key stage 4 is published at parliamentary constituency, local authority, regional and national level.

‘Every child achieving and thriving’ sets the department’s our plan to deliver improved outcomes for all children, regardless of their background or where they live. Our ambition is for all children to achieve higher standards, while halving the disadvantage gap.

We are delivering this though Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence teams, who are supporting all schools to navigate a pathway to improvement. We are also introducing a refreshed, high-quality curriculum and assessment system and recruiting 6,500 additional teachers. Alongside this, we are addressing barriers to learning through measures to improve attendance, roll out free breakfast clubs and tackle child poverty.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure customers are protected from (a) injury and (b) other harm as a result of attending (i) hairdressers and (ii) barbershops.

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

Businesses in the hair and beauty sector including barber shops, hairdressers and beauty salons are required to comply with the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and associated regulations, which place duties on businesses to assess and control the risk for employees and others affected by their work, including members of the public.

While the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) are the policy lead for the hair and beauty sector, responsibility for enforcing health and safety legislation at individual businesses rests with the local authority in which the premises are located.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that secondary schools offer a wide range of creative subjects for pupils at GCSE.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The government has committed to revitalising arts in schools, and in particular widening access to arts subjects. This is supported by wide-ranging measures, including revising the national curriculum and qualifications, setting clearer expectations on schools with the recently published Enrichment Framework guidance, the removal of the EBacc secondary school performance measures and consultation on new Progress 8 measures and the establishment of a new National Centre for Arts and Music Education.

For key stage 4, all pupils in maintained schools must be offered the opportunity to study a range of subjects and obtain an approved qualification, including GCSEs. This includes an entitlement to study a qualification in at least one arts subject, art and design, music, dance, drama, and media arts, alongside an entitlement to study a qualification in design and technology. These entitlements will extend to academy-status schools following the introduction of the revised national curriculum.

Reform of the curriculum and assessment system will also support clear pathways into further study, training and high-quality careers, while maintaining high standards and the importance of both knowledge and skills. We expect there to be a public consultation on proposals for curriculum and assessment in due course.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of introducing a statutory requirement for (a) hairdressers and (b) barbers to hold specified qualifications.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

We have no current plans for additional regulation for hairdressers and barbers, but we remain open to evidence. The Hairdressers Registration Act 1964 provides for a UK register of qualified hairdressers and barbers, although registration remains voluntary. Hairdressing salons and barbers are subject to a range of existing requirements, including health and safety and consumer protection legislation. It is important to take an evidence-based approach when making decisions, and the introduction of additional regulation would need to be carefully considered.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of introducing mandatory (a) registration and (b) licensing for (i) hairdressers and (ii) barbershops.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

We have no current plans for additional regulation for hairdressers and barbers, but we remain open to evidence. The Hairdressers Registration Act 1964 provides for a UK register of qualified hairdressers and barbers, although registration remains voluntary. Hairdressing salons and barbers are subject to a range of existing requirements, including health and safety and consumer protection legislation. It is important to take an evidence-based approach when making decisions, and the introduction of additional regulation would need to be carefully considered.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made about the potential relationship between free school meals and educational attainment in Ashfield constituency.

Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department does not routinely assess the relationship between free school meals (FSM) and educational attainment at individual constituency level. However, pupils in Ashfield who are eligible for FSM benefit from the same national programmes and support as eligible pupils elsewhere in England.

Pupils eligible for FSM have lower attainment on average than their peers across the education system. This outcome is evident across the country regardless of region. Evidence shows that access to nutritious school meals is linked to higher attainment, improved behaviour, and better concentration.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to provide local authorities with greater powers to regulate (a) hairdressers and (b) barbers.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The Government has no current plans to provide local authorities with additional powers to regulate hairdressers or barbers. The Hairdressers Registration Act 1964 provides for a UK register of qualified hairdressers and barbers, although registration is voluntary. Hairdressing salons and barbers are already subject to a range of requirements, including health and safety and consumer protection legislation, and local authorities may place registration requirements on hairdressing establishments. It is important to take an evidence-based approach to regulation, and any further regulatory measures would need to be carefully considered.

Serious and organised crime can have a damaging impact on local communities and legitimate businesses. The Government announced a £30 million programme in May to tackle criminal activity in cash-intensive high street businesses, and support enforcement activity, including through additional funding for Trading Standards and law enforcement partners.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of new regulatory costs, including new packaging costs, on pubs.

Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General

The potential impact of regulatory changes on pubs is carefully considered as part of policy development, and the Government regularly engages with the pub industry to understand the pressures businesses face. With regard to Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging, we are aware of concerns about the classification of packaging that is disposed of through commercial waste streams, including through pubs. We are working closely with stakeholders on this issue.

We are reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens and supporting pubs to grow. The National Licensing Policy Framework for England and Wales has set a new strategic direction for licensing authorities to have greater regard for growth when considering licensing applications and decisions. We also extended opening hours during the Men’s Football World Cup and are backing “pavement pints” by making it easier for hospitality businesses to serve food and drink outside.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment her department has made of the effectiveness of treatment offered in the UK for gliomas.

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

The Hon. Member’s specific questions on gliomas and glioblastomas have been extensively dealt with in previous written answers, and I would refer him most recently to the answers of 3 March, 23 June, 29 June, 1 July, 15 July, 16 July and 20 July, in response to the respective Questions 115098, 9896, 10911, 11208, HL1675, HL1674, and HL1673.

More generally, through the National Cancer Plan, the Government is making rare cancers a priority. We have committed to being in the top quartile across 28 countries for survival of 14 less common cancers by 2035, including brain tumours, where survival rates currently rank 22nd out of 24 countries measured.

The Department recognises that general practitioners may rarely encounter specific rare cancers, which can make diagnosis more challenging. The plan includes measures to improve recognition and prevent missed diagnoses in primary care, including Jess's Rule, which supports clinicians to review and reconsider cases where symptoms remain unexplained or worsen over time.

Patients with rare cancers will also benefit from NHS England’s move to specialist multi-disciplinary teams that cover multiple providers. This will enable patients to benefit from the expertise of specialist centres and access the best evidence-based care. The Department and NHS England are working with rare cancer charities to strengthen support for patients, including providing guidance to clinical staff and connecting patients with specialist charities, peer communities, and expert sources of advice through the Diagnosis Connect Programme.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her department is taking to increase awareness of the symptoms of gliomas.

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

The Hon. Member’s specific questions on gliomas and glioblastomas have been extensively dealt with in previous written answers, and I would refer him most recently to the answers of 3 March, 23 June, 29 June, 1 July, 15 July, 16 July and 20 July, in response to the respective Questions 115098, 9896, 10911, 11208, HL1675, HL1674, and HL1673.

More generally, through the National Cancer Plan, the Government is making rare cancers a priority. We have committed to being in the top quartile across 28 countries for survival of 14 less common cancers by 2035, including brain tumours, where survival rates currently rank 22nd out of 24 countries measured.

The Department recognises that general practitioners may rarely encounter specific rare cancers, which can make diagnosis more challenging. The plan includes measures to improve recognition and prevent missed diagnoses in primary care, including Jess's Rule, which supports clinicians to review and reconsider cases where symptoms remain unexplained or worsen over time.

Patients with rare cancers will also benefit from NHS England’s move to specialist multi-disciplinary teams that cover multiple providers. This will enable patients to benefit from the expertise of specialist centres and access the best evidence-based care. The Department and NHS England are working with rare cancer charities to strengthen support for patients, including providing guidance to clinical staff and connecting patients with specialist charities, peer communities, and expert sources of advice through the Diagnosis Connect Programme.

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 improve diagnosis (a) accuracy and (b) times for brain tumours.

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

The Hon. Member’s specific questions on gliomas and glioblastomas have been extensively dealt with in previous written answers, and I would refer him most recently to the answers of 3 March, 23 June, 29 June, 1 July, 15 July, 16 July and 20 July, in response to the respective Questions 115098, 9896, 10911, 11208, HL1675, HL1674, and HL1673.

More generally, through the National Cancer Plan, the Government is making rare cancers a priority. We have committed to being in the top quartile across 28 countries for survival of 14 less common cancers by 2035, including brain tumours, where survival rates currently rank 22nd out of 24 countries measured.

The Department recognises that general practitioners may rarely encounter specific rare cancers, which can make diagnosis more challenging. The plan includes measures to improve recognition and prevent missed diagnoses in primary care, including Jess's Rule, which supports clinicians to review and reconsider cases where symptoms remain unexplained or worsen over time.

Patients with rare cancers will also benefit from NHS England’s move to specialist multi-disciplinary teams that cover multiple providers. This will enable patients to benefit from the expertise of specialist centres and access the best evidence-based care. The Department and NHS England are working with rare cancer charities to strengthen support for patients, including providing guidance to clinical staff and connecting patients with specialist charities, peer communities, and expert sources of advice through the Diagnosis Connect Programme.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her department is taking to improve treatment for glioblastomas.

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

The Hon. Member’s specific questions on gliomas and glioblastomas have been extensively dealt with in previous written answers, and I would refer him most recently to the answers of 3 March, 23 June, 29 June, 1 July, 15 July, 16 July and 20 July, in response to the respective Questions 115098, 9896, 10911, 11208, HL1675, HL1674, and HL1673.

More generally, through the National Cancer Plan, the Government is making rare cancers a priority. We have committed to being in the top quartile across 28 countries for survival of 14 less common cancers by 2035, including brain tumours, where survival rates currently rank 22nd out of 24 countries measured.

The Department recognises that general practitioners may rarely encounter specific rare cancers, which can make diagnosis more challenging. The plan includes measures to improve recognition and prevent missed diagnoses in primary care, including Jess's Rule, which supports clinicians to review and reconsider cases where symptoms remain unexplained or worsen over time.

Patients with rare cancers will also benefit from NHS England’s move to specialist multi-disciplinary teams that cover multiple providers. This will enable patients to benefit from the expertise of specialist centres and access the best evidence-based care. The Department and NHS England are working with rare cancer charities to strengthen support for patients, including providing guidance to clinical staff and connecting patients with specialist charities, peer communities, and expert sources of advice through the Diagnosis Connect Programme.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her department is taking to support research into glioblastomas.

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

The Hon. Member’s specific questions on gliomas and glioblastomas have been extensively dealt with in previous written answers, and I would refer him most recently to the answers of 3 March, 23 June, 29 June, 1 July, 15 July, 16 July and 20 July, in response to the respective Questions 115098, 9896, 10911, 11208, HL1675, HL1674, and HL1673.

More generally, through the National Cancer Plan, the Government is making rare cancers a priority. We have committed to being in the top quartile across 28 countries for survival of 14 less common cancers by 2035, including brain tumours, where survival rates currently rank 22nd out of 24 countries measured.

The Department recognises that general practitioners may rarely encounter specific rare cancers, which can make diagnosis more challenging. The plan includes measures to improve recognition and prevent missed diagnoses in primary care, including Jess's Rule, which supports clinicians to review and reconsider cases where symptoms remain unexplained or worsen over time.

Patients with rare cancers will also benefit from NHS England’s move to specialist multi-disciplinary teams that cover multiple providers. This will enable patients to benefit from the expertise of specialist centres and access the best evidence-based care. The Department and NHS England are working with rare cancer charities to strengthen support for patients, including providing guidance to clinical staff and connecting patients with specialist charities, peer communities, and expert sources of advice through the Diagnosis Connect Programme.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her department is taking to ensure people can access effective treatment for brain tumours in NHS hospitals.

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

The Hon. Member’s specific questions on gliomas and glioblastomas have been extensively dealt with in previous written answers, and I would refer him most recently to the answers of 3 March, 23 June, 29 June, 1 July, 15 July, 16 July and 20 July, in response to the respective Questions 115098, 9896, 10911, 11208, HL1675, HL1674, and HL1673.

More generally, through the National Cancer Plan, the Government is making rare cancers a priority. We have committed to being in the top quartile across 28 countries for survival of 14 less common cancers by 2035, including brain tumours, where survival rates currently rank 22nd out of 24 countries measured.

The Department recognises that general practitioners may rarely encounter specific rare cancers, which can make diagnosis more challenging. The plan includes measures to improve recognition and prevent missed diagnoses in primary care, including Jess's Rule, which supports clinicians to review and reconsider cases where symptoms remain unexplained or worsen over time.

Patients with rare cancers will also benefit from NHS England’s move to specialist multi-disciplinary teams that cover multiple providers. This will enable patients to benefit from the expertise of specialist centres and access the best evidence-based care. The Department and NHS England are working with rare cancer charities to strengthen support for patients, including providing guidance to clinical staff and connecting patients with specialist charities, peer communities, and expert sources of advice through the Diagnosis Connect Programme.

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 improve (a) mental and (b) emotional support for people with brain tumours.

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

The Hon. Member’s specific questions on gliomas and glioblastomas have been extensively dealt with in previous written answers, and I would refer him most recently to the answers of 3 March, 23 June, 29 June, 1 July, 15 July, 16 July and 20 July, in response to the respective Questions 115098, 9896, 10911, 11208, HL1675, HL1674, and HL1673.

More generally, through the National Cancer Plan, the Government is making rare cancers a priority. We have committed to being in the top quartile across 28 countries for survival of 14 less common cancers by 2035, including brain tumours, where survival rates currently rank 22nd out of 24 countries measured.

The Department recognises that general practitioners may rarely encounter specific rare cancers, which can make diagnosis more challenging. The plan includes measures to improve recognition and prevent missed diagnoses in primary care, including Jess's Rule, which supports clinicians to review and reconsider cases where symptoms remain unexplained or worsen over time.

Patients with rare cancers will also benefit from NHS England’s move to specialist multi-disciplinary teams that cover multiple providers. This will enable patients to benefit from the expertise of specialist centres and access the best evidence-based care. The Department and NHS England are working with rare cancer charities to strengthen support for patients, including providing guidance to clinical staff and connecting patients with specialist charities, peer communities, and expert sources of advice through the Diagnosis Connect Programme.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of people rough sleeping in England.

Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government publishes rough sleeping management information, including data on the nationality of people sleeping rough, how many people sleeping rough have left the armed forces within the last 85 days and the number of people sleeping rough over the course of the month who have moved into accommodation, as well as the number of people sleeping rough over the course of the month who had previously moved into settled accommodation. You can access the latest data on gov.uk here.

As well as this, the government’s analytical annex to our National Plan to End Homelessness includes research about the causes of rough sleeping, which you can find on gov.uk here.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions her Department has had with (a) healthcare professionals and (b) mental health support services on suicide prevention.

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

Further to the answer provided on 7 September in response to Question 22521, the Government has recently renewed its partnership with the Premier League to tackle male suicide and increase access to and understanding of mental health support, via the Premier League’s Together Against Suicide initiative with Samaritans.

In developing and delivering the Suicide Prevention Strategy, the Department continues to engage with healthcare professionals, mental health and suicide prevention services, voluntary and community sector organisations, charities, and bereaved families.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help prevent male suicide.

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

Further to the answer provided on 7 September in response to Question 22521, the Government has recently renewed its partnership with the Premier League to tackle male suicide and increase access to and understanding of mental health support, via the Premier League’s Together Against Suicide initiative with Samaritans.

In developing and delivering the Suicide Prevention Strategy, the Department continues to engage with healthcare professionals, mental health and suicide prevention services, voluntary and community sector organisations, charities, and bereaved families.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions her Department has had with (a) patients and (b) medical professionals on increasing (i) investment and (ii) clinical trials into cancer treatments.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the National Cancer Plan for England, published in February, which sets out the steps we are taking in a range of areas to improve cancer diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes, including for research and clinical trials. The National Cancer Plan for England is available at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69dce11fd3e08b8871b6662c/national-cancer-plan-for-england-delivering-world-class-cancer-care.pdf

I also refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 24 February 2026 to the Hon Member for Sheffield South East to Question 113042.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps her Department has taken to increase funding for cancer research.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the National Cancer Plan for England, published in February, which sets out the steps we are taking in a range of areas to improve cancer diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes, including for research and clinical trials. The National Cancer Plan for England is available at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69dce11fd3e08b8871b6662c/national-cancer-plan-for-england-delivering-world-class-cancer-care.pdf

I also refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 24 February 2026 to the Hon Member for Sheffield South East to Question 113042.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions her Department has had with (a) teachers and (b) head teachers on mental health support for students.

Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

This government is committed to improving mental health support for children and young people and the department engages regularly with education sector bodies and school leaders. We are expanding Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) to provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school and are accelerating rollout to achieve full national coverage by 2029.

The department also provides guidance and resources on promoting and supporting pupils’ mental health and wellbeing, developed by working with schools to ensure their needs are met. Resources include a hub for mental health leads, the Targeted Support guidance and Hub and a non-statutory guidance to support schools to take a holistic, preventative approach to mental health and wellbeing, available at:

1. https://www.mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk/resources-senior-mental-health/
2. https://www.mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk/whole-school-or-college-resources/targeted-support/
3. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/promoting-children-and-young-peoples-emotional-health-and-wellbeing

Additionally, we are developing a new mental health strategy for England, to be published later this year. This involved a call for evidence on prevention and support, including from education and training settings, on how to maximise existing policies, such as MHSTs and community-based mental health services.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to increase awareness of mental health support in schools.

Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

This government is committed to improving mental health support for children and young people and the department engages regularly with education sector bodies and school leaders. We are expanding Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) to provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school and are accelerating rollout to achieve full national coverage by 2029.

The department also provides guidance and resources on promoting and supporting pupils’ mental health and wellbeing, developed by working with schools to ensure their needs are met. Resources include a hub for mental health leads, the Targeted Support guidance and Hub and a non-statutory guidance to support schools to take a holistic, preventative approach to mental health and wellbeing, available at:

1. https://www.mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk/resources-senior-mental-health/
2. https://www.mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk/whole-school-or-college-resources/targeted-support/
3. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/promoting-children-and-young-peoples-emotional-health-and-wellbeing

Additionally, we are developing a new mental health strategy for England, to be published later this year. This involved a call for evidence on prevention and support, including from education and training settings, on how to maximise existing policies, such as MHSTs and community-based mental health services.

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 help prevent suicide amongst young people.

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

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 16 June in response to Question 7050, which sets out the action being taken nationally on this issue.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to tackle the rate of postpartum haemorrhage in Nottinghamshire.

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

Both Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust continue surveillance and governance oversight of severe postpartum haemorrhage (PPH), with serious cases reviewed through the Perinatal Safety Incident Review Group. They are embedding the practice of measuring rather than estimating blood loss to support earlier recognition and intervention, alongside other quality improvements.

Following the Ockenden Review, timely risk assessment, escalation and management of PPH are specific learning themes, supported by multidisciplinary education, training and guideline review. The Perinatal Quality Surveillance Group and the local Perinatal Partnership Group continue to oversee progress and seek assurance from both trusts.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps her department is taking to increase investment into palliative care.

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

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given on 20 July to Question 18732, which sets out the Government's position on this matter.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent steps his Department has taken to support pubs in (a) Ashfield constituency and (b) Nottinghamshire.

Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General

Treasury Ministers and officials regularly engage with businesses across sectors, and the Government recognises the value pubs and breweries bring and the challenges they face across the country, including in Ashfield.

The Government has announced a 20% cut to business rates bills for pubs from April 2027. This is in addition to the 15% relief off 2025/2026 bills, with bills frozen in real terms for a further two years. When taken together, these packages are worth nearly £250 million next year and will benefit around 32,000 pubs, social clubs and live music venues.

Separately, on 24 August 2026, the Government announced a review of pub and hotel business rates valuations to build a fairer system for the future. This review calls for the views of landlords, hoteliers and business owners.

We are also supporting breweries. Draught Relief enables products served on draught below 8.5% alcohol by volume (ABV) to pay less duty. This relief benefits pubs and other venues, as well as the producers that supply eligible products. Small Producer Relief (SPR) was introduced to replace and extend the previous Small Brewers Relief. SPR provides vital support to SMEs and market entrants by allowing brewers and smaller producers who make 4,500 hectolitres or less of alcohol per year to pay reduced duty rates on all products below 8.5% ABV.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent steps his Department has taken to support (a) pubs and (b) breweries.

Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General

Treasury Ministers and officials regularly engage with businesses across sectors, and the Government recognises the value pubs and breweries bring and the challenges they face across the country, including in Ashfield.

The Government has announced a 20% cut to business rates bills for pubs from April 2027. This is in addition to the 15% relief off 2025/2026 bills, with bills frozen in real terms for a further two years. When taken together, these packages are worth nearly £250 million next year and will benefit around 32,000 pubs, social clubs and live music venues.

Separately, on 24 August 2026, the Government announced a review of pub and hotel business rates valuations to build a fairer system for the future. This review calls for the views of landlords, hoteliers and business owners.

We are also supporting breweries. Draught Relief enables products served on draught below 8.5% alcohol by volume (ABV) to pay less duty. This relief benefits pubs and other venues, as well as the producers that supply eligible products. Small Producer Relief (SPR) was introduced to replace and extend the previous Small Brewers Relief. SPR provides vital support to SMEs and market entrants by allowing brewers and smaller producers who make 4,500 hectolitres or less of alcohol per year to pay reduced duty rates on all products below 8.5% ABV.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of business costs on (a) pubs and (b) breweries.

Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General

Treasury Ministers and officials regularly engage with businesses across sectors, and the Government recognises the value pubs and breweries bring and the challenges they face across the country, including in Ashfield.

The Government has announced a 20% cut to business rates bills for pubs from April 2027. This is in addition to the 15% relief off 2025/2026 bills, with bills frozen in real terms for a further two years. When taken together, these packages are worth nearly £250 million next year and will benefit around 32,000 pubs, social clubs and live music venues.

Separately, on 24 August 2026, the Government announced a review of pub and hotel business rates valuations to build a fairer system for the future. This review calls for the views of landlords, hoteliers and business owners.

We are also supporting breweries. Draught Relief enables products served on draught below 8.5% alcohol by volume (ABV) to pay less duty. This relief benefits pubs and other venues, as well as the producers that supply eligible products. Small Producer Relief (SPR) was introduced to replace and extend the previous Small Brewers Relief. SPR provides vital support to SMEs and market entrants by allowing brewers and smaller producers who make 4,500 hectolitres or less of alcohol per year to pay reduced duty rates on all products below 8.5% ABV.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with (a) pub landlords and (b) brewers.

Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General

Treasury Ministers and officials regularly engage with businesses across sectors, and the Government recognises the value pubs and breweries bring and the challenges they face across the country, including in Ashfield.

The Government has announced a 20% cut to business rates bills for pubs from April 2027. This is in addition to the 15% relief off 2025/2026 bills, with bills frozen in real terms for a further two years. When taken together, these packages are worth nearly £250 million next year and will benefit around 32,000 pubs, social clubs and live music venues.

Separately, on 24 August 2026, the Government announced a review of pub and hotel business rates valuations to build a fairer system for the future. This review calls for the views of landlords, hoteliers and business owners.

We are also supporting breweries. Draught Relief enables products served on draught below 8.5% alcohol by volume (ABV) to pay less duty. This relief benefits pubs and other venues, as well as the producers that supply eligible products. Small Producer Relief (SPR) was introduced to replace and extend the previous Small Brewers Relief. SPR provides vital support to SMEs and market entrants by allowing brewers and smaller producers who make 4,500 hectolitres or less of alcohol per year to pay reduced duty rates on all products below 8.5% ABV.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment her department has made of the impact of health inequalities on patient outcomes across England.

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

Through our 10-Year Health Plan, we are committed to tackling the social determinants of health, improving healthy life expectancy for everyone, and halving the gap between the richest and poorest regions. By bringing together departments across the Government, we are ensuring that action on health is embedded in policies that shape people’s daily lives. Recent cross-Government action includes the Warm Homes Plan, the Keep Britain Working Review, and the Homelessness Strategy.

The NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) is responsible for commissioning National Health Services to meet the needs of people in Ashfield. The Nottinghamshire ICB works with local NHS trusts and providers to strengthen prevention, improve population health, and reduce health inequalities, particularly in communities experiencing the poorest outcomes. ICBs have a duty to reduce inequalities between persons both in terms of their ability to access health services and with respect to the outcomes achieved for them.

The NHS’s CORE20PLUS5 approach targets action to reduce health inequalities in the most deprived 20% of the population and improve outcomes for groups that experience the worst access, experience, and outcomes within the NHS. The approach focuses on improving the five clinical areas at most need of accelerated improvement, namely cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory, maternity and mental health outcomes, in the poorest 20 percent of the population, along with other disadvantaged population groups identified at a local level.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps her department is taking to address healthcare inequalities in the constituency of Ashfield.

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

Through our 10-Year Health Plan, we are committed to tackling the social determinants of health, improving healthy life expectancy for everyone, and halving the gap between the richest and poorest regions. By bringing together departments across the Government, we are ensuring that action on health is embedded in policies that shape people’s daily lives. Recent cross-Government action includes the Warm Homes Plan, the Keep Britain Working Review, and the Homelessness Strategy.

The NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) is responsible for commissioning National Health Services to meet the needs of people in Ashfield. The Nottinghamshire ICB works with local NHS trusts and providers to strengthen prevention, improve population health, and reduce health inequalities, particularly in communities experiencing the poorest outcomes. ICBs have a duty to reduce inequalities between persons both in terms of their ability to access health services and with respect to the outcomes achieved for them.

The NHS’s CORE20PLUS5 approach targets action to reduce health inequalities in the most deprived 20% of the population and improve outcomes for groups that experience the worst access, experience, and outcomes within the NHS. The approach focuses on improving the five clinical areas at most need of accelerated improvement, namely cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory, maternity and mental health outcomes, in the poorest 20 percent of the population, along with other disadvantaged population groups identified at a local level.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her department is taking to tackle health inequalities across England.

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

Through our 10-Year Health Plan, we are committed to tackling the social determinants of health, improving healthy life expectancy for everyone, and halving the gap between the richest and poorest regions. By bringing together departments across the Government, we are ensuring that action on health is embedded in policies that shape people’s daily lives. Recent cross-Government action includes the Warm Homes Plan, the Keep Britain Working Review, and the Homelessness Strategy.

The NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) is responsible for commissioning National Health Services to meet the needs of people in Ashfield. The Nottinghamshire ICB works with local NHS trusts and providers to strengthen prevention, improve population health, and reduce health inequalities, particularly in communities experiencing the poorest outcomes. ICBs have a duty to reduce inequalities between persons both in terms of their ability to access health services and with respect to the outcomes achieved for them.

The NHS’s CORE20PLUS5 approach targets action to reduce health inequalities in the most deprived 20% of the population and improve outcomes for groups that experience the worst access, experience, and outcomes within the NHS. The approach focuses on improving the five clinical areas at most need of accelerated improvement, namely cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory, maternity and mental health outcomes, in the poorest 20 percent of the population, along with other disadvantaged population groups identified at a local level.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve educational outcomes for children in deindustrialised areas.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

‘Every child achieving and thriving’ establishes the department’s plan to deliver improved outcomes for all children, regardless of their background or where they live. Our ambition is for all children to achieve higher standards and for the disadvantage gap to be halved.

We will recruit 6,500 additional expert teachers, expand access to high-quality enrichment opportunities, and Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence teams are helping all schools navigate a pathway to improvement. We are also launching two place-focused missions to drive improvement in areas where outcomes remain stubbornly low.

The department is transforming technical education from age 14, placing technical and academic pathways on an equal footing and ensuring every young person has access to high-quality routes into skilled employment and further study. We will work with Mayoral Strategic Authorities to design locally tailored vocational pathways for students from age 14 in every region.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps her Department has taken to support police officers in tackling knife crime amongst young adults.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

Preventing children and young people from becoming involved in knife crime while supporting the police to tackle offending where it occurs, is central to our mission to halve knife crime in a decade and to make our streets safer. Protecting Lives, Building Hope: A Plan to Halve Knife Crime details the full range of measures that Government is taking to tackle the root causes of knife crime among young people and to strengthen enforcement.

In February 2026, the Home Office and Ministry of Justice announced new action to tackle child knife possession. The new guidance, which came into force on 1 April 2026, ensures that Police and Youth Justice Services work together so that every child caught carrying a knife is given a mandatory targeted plan to address the root causes of their offending and help prevent further offending.

We are also supporting early intervention and prevention by investing over £66 million in the Serious Violence Reduction Programme and the Serious Violence Duty this financial year. This funding will help continue the work of Violence Reduction Units, which bring together local partners to understand and tackle the drivers of serious violence in their areas, and will support the Young Futures Panel pilots, which identify young people at risk of being drawn into crime and provide early, targeted and diversionary support.

Our new Knife Crime Concentrations Fund will also invest £26.25 million this year to strengthen enforcement and prevention in the areas most affected by knife crime. Building on last year's hyperlocal knife crime pilots, we are expanding this approach across 27 police force areas, which together account for around 90% of knife crime in England and Wales. This funding will support police forces and local partners to work together to identify and tackle the specific factors driving knife crime in the locations most affected, enabling targeted and evidence-led interventions.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps she is taking to prevent knife crime amongst young people.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

Preventing children and young people from becoming involved in knife crime while supporting the police to tackle offending where it occurs, is central to our mission to halve knife crime in a decade and to make our streets safer. Protecting Lives, Building Hope: A Plan to Halve Knife Crime details the full range of measures that Government is taking to tackle the root causes of knife crime among young people and to strengthen enforcement.

In February 2026, the Home Office and Ministry of Justice announced new action to tackle child knife possession. The new guidance, which came into force on 1 April 2026, ensures that Police and Youth Justice Services work together so that every child caught carrying a knife is given a mandatory targeted plan to address the root causes of their offending and help prevent further offending.

We are also supporting early intervention and prevention by investing over £66 million in the Serious Violence Reduction Programme and the Serious Violence Duty this financial year. This funding will help continue the work of Violence Reduction Units, which bring together local partners to understand and tackle the drivers of serious violence in their areas, and will support the Young Futures Panel pilots, which identify young people at risk of being drawn into crime and provide early, targeted and diversionary support.

Our new Knife Crime Concentrations Fund will also invest £26.25 million this year to strengthen enforcement and prevention in the areas most affected by knife crime. Building on last year's hyperlocal knife crime pilots, we are expanding this approach across 27 police force areas, which together account for around 90% of knife crime in England and Wales. This funding will support police forces and local partners to work together to identify and tackle the specific factors driving knife crime in the locations most affected, enabling targeted and evidence-led interventions.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her department is taking to support children with limb difference.

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

The Amputee Rehabilitation and Prosthetics Services for People of All Ages with Limb Loss and Limb Difference service specification sets out the support that children with limb difference should receive.

This includes personalised care and support from prosthetists and therapists, access to community diagnostic centres, health visitors, special educational needs coordinators, and the paediatric safeguarding team where appropriate. Paediatric services should also include annual reviews with a consultant in rehabilitation medicine and relevant multidisciplinary team members, mental health and psychological support, consultations with surgeons with expertise in surgical techniques relevant to limb difference, referrals to medical genetics where appropriate, and a system of peer support.

The service specification was developed following extensive engagement with patient groups and staff.