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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the (a) economic state and (b) financial viability of independent veterinary businesses.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra has not done its own assessment of the economic state and financial viability of veterinary businesses., however, it welcomes the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA’s) market investigation into veterinary services for household pets. As part of their market investigation, the CMA carried out an economic assessment of the sector. The CMA released its provisional decision report on 15 October for the veterinary profession to respond. The CMA will review all responses before releasing its final report. Defra will formally respond to the CMA’s final report, and the items within it, when it is published in the Spring. Some of the CMA’s provisional recommendation will require reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966, on which Defra is currently consulting, and further assessments will be carried out as required.

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 improve (a) diagnosis time and (b) medical care for people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is now commonly referred to as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), although the terms are still often used interchangeably.

While the Department has not had any recent discussions with medical professionals about care for people with MASLD, NHS England has recently commenced a programme for the transformation of liver services. This programme is being led by the NHS England Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Clinical Reference Group (HPB CRG). HPB CRG is working with partners to co-produce resources to raise public knowledge and awareness of all forms of liver disease. In time, this may include incorporating liver health checks into the NHS Making Every Contact Count and NHS Health Checks initiatives.

The HPB CRG is also aiming to improve early diagnosis and intervention through developing evidence-based best-practice pathways for both primary care and referral to secondary care services. The HPB CRG is looking at access and equity of access to diagnostic tests across England and exploring the applicability of automated Fib4 tests and Intelligent Liver Function Testing, potentially utilising community diagnostic centres.

The British Society for Gastroenterology is currently updating its pathways and guidance for MASLD for both primary and secondary care, diagnostics, and treatment, which we anticipate will be published soon. There are also a number of ongoing National Institute for Health and Care Excellence assessments looking at new treatments for MASLD, including Resmetirom and Semaglutide. Outputs and recommendations are expected to be published in mid-2026.

Clinical teams also have access to NHS England’s Getting it Right First Time Advice and Guidance toolkit and templates for gastroenterology, which feature advice on managing abnormal liver function tests and MASLD. These templates enable general practitioners to seek timely advice from secondary care specialists, helping to reduce unnecessary delays.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions his Department has had with medical professionals about care for people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is now commonly referred to as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), although the terms are still often used interchangeably.

While the Department has not had any recent discussions with medical professionals about care for people with MASLD, NHS England has recently commenced a programme for the transformation of liver services. This programme is being led by the NHS England Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Clinical Reference Group (HPB CRG). HPB CRG is working with partners to co-produce resources to raise public knowledge and awareness of all forms of liver disease. In time, this may include incorporating liver health checks into the NHS Making Every Contact Count and NHS Health Checks initiatives.

The HPB CRG is also aiming to improve early diagnosis and intervention through developing evidence-based best-practice pathways for both primary care and referral to secondary care services. The HPB CRG is looking at access and equity of access to diagnostic tests across England and exploring the applicability of automated Fib4 tests and Intelligent Liver Function Testing, potentially utilising community diagnostic centres.

The British Society for Gastroenterology is currently updating its pathways and guidance for MASLD for both primary and secondary care, diagnostics, and treatment, which we anticipate will be published soon. There are also a number of ongoing National Institute for Health and Care Excellence assessments looking at new treatments for MASLD, including Resmetirom and Semaglutide. Outputs and recommendations are expected to be published in mid-2026.

Clinical teams also have access to NHS England’s Getting it Right First Time Advice and Guidance toolkit and templates for gastroenterology, which feature advice on managing abnormal liver function tests and MASLD. These templates enable general practitioners to seek timely advice from secondary care specialists, helping to reduce unnecessary delays.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment her Department has made about the effectiveness of the Early years foundation stage statutory framework in offering sufficient guidance on safe sleep for babies.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework, which all early years providers are required to follow, includes a requirement for babies to be placed down to sleep in line with the latest government safety guidance

The Early Years qualification requirements and standards document sets out the minimum qualification requirements that staff must meet to work within early years settings. Both the Level 2 and Level 3 qualification criteria include knowledge of rest and sleep provision. This document is accessible at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-qualification-requirements-and-standards.

In September 2024, the department worked in collaboration with The Lullaby Trust to produce guidance, which is available on the Foundation Years platform. This covers unsuitable sleeping products, suitable sleeping surfaces and the safe use of blankets. This guidance can be found at: https://www.foundationyears.org.uk/2024/09/safer-sleeping-practices-for-early-years-educators/.

To make the existing requirements clearer for all, we plan to add further detail to the EYFS frameworks. We have worked with safer sleep experts, including The Lullaby Trust, on proposed new wording and plan to introduce these changes as soon as possible.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her department is taking to ensure all nursery staff receive sufficient training regarding safe sleep for babies.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework, which all early years providers are required to follow, includes a requirement for babies to be placed down to sleep in line with the latest government safety guidance

The Early Years qualification requirements and standards document sets out the minimum qualification requirements that staff must meet to work within early years settings. Both the Level 2 and Level 3 qualification criteria include knowledge of rest and sleep provision. This document is accessible at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-qualification-requirements-and-standards.

In September 2024, the department worked in collaboration with The Lullaby Trust to produce guidance, which is available on the Foundation Years platform. This covers unsuitable sleeping products, suitable sleeping surfaces and the safe use of blankets. This guidance can be found at: https://www.foundationyears.org.uk/2024/09/safer-sleeping-practices-for-early-years-educators/.

To make the existing requirements clearer for all, we plan to add further detail to the EYFS frameworks. We have worked with safer sleep experts, including The Lullaby Trust, on proposed new wording and plan to introduce these changes as soon as possible.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Government has plans to increase levels of safe sleep regulations for babies in the Early years foundation stage statutory framework.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework, which all early years providers are required to follow, includes a requirement for babies to be placed down to sleep in line with the latest government safety guidance

The Early Years qualification requirements and standards document sets out the minimum qualification requirements that staff must meet to work within early years settings. Both the Level 2 and Level 3 qualification criteria include knowledge of rest and sleep provision. This document is accessible at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-qualification-requirements-and-standards.

In September 2024, the department worked in collaboration with The Lullaby Trust to produce guidance, which is available on the Foundation Years platform. This covers unsuitable sleeping products, suitable sleeping surfaces and the safe use of blankets. This guidance can be found at: https://www.foundationyears.org.uk/2024/09/safer-sleeping-practices-for-early-years-educators/.

To make the existing requirements clearer for all, we plan to add further detail to the EYFS frameworks. We have worked with safer sleep experts, including The Lullaby Trust, on proposed new wording and plan to introduce these changes as soon as possible.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people living in Home Office supported asylum accommodation have been accused of a crime.

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

The Home Office does not hold data on the number of people in asylum accommodation who have been accused of a crime. Allegations of criminal activity are matters for the police, who are responsible for recording, investigating, and progressing criminal reports.

Home Office accommodation providers and operational staff work closely with local police forces to share relevant safeguarding information and to manage risks within the asylum accommodation estate. Where incidents occur, established processes ensure that appropriate action is taken to protect both asylum seekers and staff, and additional support is deployed where necessary.

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 ensure General Practitioners are sufficiently trained on Functional Neurological Disorder.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department recognises the need to improve awareness and understanding of functional neurological disorder (FND) across the health system.

The Royal College of General Practitioners provides a learning course that includes a dedicated module on recognising and explaining FND, helping general practitioners (GPs) to improve early identification and understanding of the condition. Further support is provided through guidance published by the National Institute for Care Excellence (NICE) on suspected neurological conditions: recognition and referral, reference code NG127, which includes detailed recommendations on recognising symptoms commonly present in FND and appropriate referral pathways.

NICE also provides a Clinical Knowledge Summary (CKS) on FND, offering practical, evidence‑based advice on diagnosis and management, supporting clinicians in distinguishing FND from structural or degenerative neurological disease.

FND is also included in a NICE guideline on rehabilitation for chronic neurological disorders and acquired brain injury, reference code NG252, published in October 2025. This further strengthens the evidence base and ensure clinicians have clear, up‑to‑date guidance on assessment and management within a broader neurological context.

Together, these resources ensure that health professionals, across primary, secondary, and specialist services, have access to robust, evidence‑based tools to support accurate differentiation between FND and other neurological conditions.

GPs are required to undertake continuing professional development to maintain and update their clinical knowledge, and they can access a range of training resources through professional bodies, royal colleges, and National Health Service‑funded education platforms. Decisions about mandatory training requirements are made only where there is a clear and evidence‑based need, and the current approach remains to ensure that GPs have the flexibility to tailor their learning to the needs of their patient populations.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will take steps to increase the number of places for domestic students on medical courses in universities.

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

In England, the Office for Students (OfS) sets the maximum fundable limit for medical school places on an annual basis. OfS will publish its intake target for the 2026/27 academic year in due course.

For the 2025/26 academic year, OfS has published its intake target at 8,126 for medical school places, with further information available at the following link:

https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/for-providers/finance-and-funding/medicine-and-dentistry-funding/medical-and-dental-maximum-fundable-limits/

On 28 January, the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Bill was introduced in the House of Lords. This bill implements the Government’s commitment in the 10-Year Health Plan to prioritise UK medical graduates for foundation training places, and to prioritise UK medical graduates and other doctors with significant NHS experience for specialty places.

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 increase the (a) accessibility and (b) availability of functional MRI scans.

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

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans can be taken on standard clinical MRI machines. However, whilst functional MRI requires specialised software to detect blood flow changes, the blood-oxygen-level-dependent signal, and sometimes extra equipment for stimuli, for instance goggles, it uses the same scanner hardware as structural MRI.

We are committed to transforming diagnostic services and will support the National Health Service to increase diagnostic capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services, including MRI scanners.

The 2025 Spending Review confirmed over £6 billion of additional capital investment over five years across new diagnostic, elective, and urgent care capacity. This includes £600 million in capital funding for diagnostics in 2025/26 to support delivery of the NHS performance standards. This funding will deliver replacement of the oldest MRI scanners in community diagnostic centres and acute hospital settings, as well as delivering MRI acceleration software. Business cases for the locations of these are being considered for approval.

Capital investment will be targeted to locations where it will enable the additional activity required to deliver the return to referral to treatment and cancer constitutional standards promised, as well as considering local levels of deprivation so that investment supports efforts to reduce health inequalities.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make training on Functional Neurological Disorder mandatory for General Practitioners.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department recognises the need to improve awareness and understanding of functional neurological disorder (FND) across the health system.

The Royal College of General Practitioners provides a learning course that includes a dedicated module on recognising and explaining FND, helping general practitioners (GPs) to improve early identification and understanding of the condition. Further support is provided through guidance published by the National Institute for Care Excellence (NICE) on suspected neurological conditions: recognition and referral, reference code NG127, which includes detailed recommendations on recognising symptoms commonly present in FND and appropriate referral pathways.

NICE also provides a Clinical Knowledge Summary (CKS) on FND, offering practical, evidence‑based advice on diagnosis and management, supporting clinicians in distinguishing FND from structural or degenerative neurological disease.

FND is also included in a NICE guideline on rehabilitation for chronic neurological disorders and acquired brain injury, reference code NG252, published in October 2025. This further strengthens the evidence base and ensure clinicians have clear, up‑to‑date guidance on assessment and management within a broader neurological context.

Together, these resources ensure that health professionals, across primary, secondary, and specialist services, have access to robust, evidence‑based tools to support accurate differentiation between FND and other neurological conditions.

GPs are required to undertake continuing professional development to maintain and update their clinical knowledge, and they can access a range of training resources through professional bodies, royal colleges, and National Health Service‑funded education platforms. Decisions about mandatory training requirements are made only where there is a clear and evidence‑based need, and the current approach remains to ensure that GPs have the flexibility to tailor their learning to the needs of their patient populations.

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 ensure health professionals are adequately trained on the differences between Functional Neurological Disorder and other neurological conditions.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department recognises the need to improve awareness and understanding of functional neurological disorder (FND) across the health system.

The Royal College of General Practitioners provides a learning course that includes a dedicated module on recognising and explaining FND, helping general practitioners (GPs) to improve early identification and understanding of the condition. Further support is provided through guidance published by the National Institute for Care Excellence (NICE) on suspected neurological conditions: recognition and referral, reference code NG127, which includes detailed recommendations on recognising symptoms commonly present in FND and appropriate referral pathways.

NICE also provides a Clinical Knowledge Summary (CKS) on FND, offering practical, evidence‑based advice on diagnosis and management, supporting clinicians in distinguishing FND from structural or degenerative neurological disease.

FND is also included in a NICE guideline on rehabilitation for chronic neurological disorders and acquired brain injury, reference code NG252, published in October 2025. This further strengthens the evidence base and ensure clinicians have clear, up‑to‑date guidance on assessment and management within a broader neurological context.

Together, these resources ensure that health professionals, across primary, secondary, and specialist services, have access to robust, evidence‑based tools to support accurate differentiation between FND and other neurological conditions.

GPs are required to undertake continuing professional development to maintain and update their clinical knowledge, and they can access a range of training resources through professional bodies, royal colleges, and National Health Service‑funded education platforms. Decisions about mandatory training requirements are made only where there is a clear and evidence‑based need, and the current approach remains to ensure that GPs have the flexibility to tailor their learning to the needs of their patient populations.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent conversations her Department has held with animal charities regarding veterinary bills.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Proposed reforms to the VSA support the result of the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA’s) market investigation into veterinary services for household pets. The CMA has provisionally recommended making fees more transparent, thus helping owners to make more informed choices on of the type of veterinary care they value.

Defra has engaged closely with several sector stakeholders, including representatives from the charity sector, in relation to our consultation on proposed reforms of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966. Defra shall continue to involve animal charities in this work. Proposed reforms will allow veterinary nurses to independently carry out a greater range of work within their skillset. Independently, this will aid animal charities by giving them more choice over who can provide treatment.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an estimate on the number of international students in British universities she expects to be part of Erasmus scheme exchanges after the UK rejoins the scheme.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

In 2018/19, there were approximately 31,000 inbound higher education student mobilities via the Erasmus+ Programme. There were approximately 16,000 outbound higher education student mobilities in the same year.

The department expects there will be a greater number of higher education mobilities on reassociation, given the expansion of the programme.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to encourage outdoors learning in schools.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department believes all children and young people should have access to a broad and balanced curriculum and a variety of enrichment opportunities at school.

The value of nature for outdoor learning and for learners’ wellbeing is fundamental

to the department Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy and it is woven throughout initiatives such as the National Education Nature Park. Delivered by the Natural History Museum, it provides curriculum aligned resources and encourages children and young people to get outside and take action to improve the biodiversity of their school grounds. It also supports the development of physical and mental wellbeing through active, hands-on engagement with the natural world.

The value of outdoor learning is being recognised and promoted through our upcoming Enrichment Framework, which includes 'Nature, outdoors and adventure' as one of five categories that schools and colleges should seek to cover in a broad and well-rounded enrichment offer.

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 help support adults who missed extended periods of education due to medical conditions they experienced as children.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

We are investing in education and skills training for adults through the Adult Skills Fund (ASF), spending £1.4 billion in the 2025/26 academic year. The ASF fully funds or co-funds skills provision for eligible adults aged 19 and above from pre-entry to level 3, to support them to gain the skills they need for work, an apprenticeship or further learning. This includes a statutory entitlement to fully funded qualifications for 19 to 23 year olds who don’t have either a level 2 or 3 qualification which may be relevant for learners who missed education due to medical conditions they experienced as children.

As of August 2025, approximately 68% of the ASF is devolved to 12 Strategic Authorities and the Greater London Authority. These authorities are responsible for the provision of ASF-funded adult education for their residents and allocation of the ASF to providers. For learners in Ashfield, the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) decides how to make best use of their ASF to meet their local needs beyond four statutory entitlements, including which courses are funded and the eligibility criteria.

By honouring our commitments to combine and further devolve adult skills funding, we give those with local knowledge the power they need to make decisions that are best for their areas.

The ASF also funds learning providers to help adult learners to overcome barriers which prevent them from taking part in learning. This includes Learner Support, to support learners with a specific financial hardship, and Learning Support to meet the additional needs of learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.

In relation to access to higher education, all higher education providers registered with the Office for Students that intend to charge higher level tuition fees must have an Access and Participation Plan (APP) approved by the Office for Students. APPs articulate how higher education providers will improve equality of opportunity for underrepresented groups.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department are taking to help support children with visual impairments in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The government is committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, ensuring teachers have the tools to better identify and support all children, as well as ensuring specialist special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and alternative provision schools cater to those with the most complex needs. Through training we aim to ensure that teachers at every level include a strong focus on inclusive education, and support the needs of all pupils, including those with visual impairments.

We are also strengthening the evidence base of what works to improve inclusive practice in mainstream settings.

Recently published evidence reviews from University College London will help to drive inclusive practices as they highlight what the best available evidence suggests are the most effective tools, strategies and approaches for teachers and other relevant staff in mainstream settings to identify and support children and young people with different types of needs.