Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what accountability mechanisms are in place in cases where a local authority is found to have delayed or cancelled access to statutory SEND provision.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department publishes annual special educational needs data (SEN2) on education, health and care (EHC) plans and assessments, including timeliness. This informs performance monitoring and targeted support. Furthermore, joint Ofsted and Care Quality Commission Area special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) inspections provide an external evaluation of how effective local area partnerships, including the local authority, are at delivering SEND services for children and young people.
Where serious concerns arise, the department may intervene directly, using statutory powers and the deployment of SEND advisers and commissioners to ensure recovery and improve services for children and young people. This includes the consideration of installing a trust to take over the local authority’s responsibilities if they are found to be failing.
Parents and carers also have the right to contact the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman if they believe their child’s EHC Plan has been delayed, not been issued within the legal timeframe, or if the council fails to provide the specified provision.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what statutory guidance her Department issues to local authorities on maintaining written records of communications and decisions during the Education, Health and Care assessment process.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department has consulted on proposals to make the education, health and care (EHC) needs assessment process clearer, simpler and more reflective of the voice of parents or carers and the child or young person. The department is carefully reviewing and taking into account all responses submitted to the consultation alongside feedback from engagement events. The department will set out its response in due course.
Under the current system when securing a needs assessment a local authority must consult the child's parent or the young person and take into account their views, wishes and feelings. Where a local authority has carried out a needs assessment, it is under a statutory duty to notify the child's parent or the young person of the outcome of the assessment, whether it proposes to secure an EHC plan and the reasons for that decision.
Keeping accurate and proportionate records of decisions and why decisions were taken is a principle of good administrative practice and something the department expects of all local authorities.
Statutory guidance on the needs assessment process is set out in the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice 2015.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of local authorities met the statutory 20-week deadline for issuing Education, Health and Care Plans in the latest period for which figures are available.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department publishes 20-week compliance rates in the education, health and care plans publication at a local authority level, which is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans/2026. This was released on 25 June 2026 and the next release is planned for summer 2027.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the volume of preventable deaths in the UK due to respiratory diseases; and what steps he plans to take to address this.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson
Data held for England shows that in 2024 there were 9,609 deaths in people aged under 75 years old where the death was due to respiratory disease and considered preventable. This data is available at the following link:
https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/profile/respiratory-disease/data
Smoking remains the leading preventable cause of respiratory disease and respiratory death. The landmark Tobacco and Vapes Act will help deliver our ambition for a smoke-free United Kingdom.
The Government is also improving access to earlier diagnosis of respiratory disease through community diagnostic centres, helping more people to access respiratory testing closer to home.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his Department's target timescale is for updating Debt Management records following a (a) first-tier tribunal decision and (b) revised Universal Credit overpayment decision.
Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Where a Universal Credit award is revised, established processes ensure that any resulting debt impact is communicated to Debt Management so that recovery action can be updated promptly.
Such decisions are processed through established appeals and decision-making processes, and where a claimant’s liability changes, the relevant information is recorded on DWP systems and communicated to Debt Management so that any necessary recovery action can be updated.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what financial and advisory support will be available to assist pig producers to transition directly to free farrowing systems.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 14 July 2026 to the hon. Member for North West Norfolk, PQ UIN 17025.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
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 adequacy of Ofgem's compensation guidelines for consumers experiencing disruption or incurring fees as a result of service errors by energy suppliers.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Ofgem’s Guaranteed Standards of Performance (GSOP) framework outlines the minimum levels of performance consumers can expect from suppliers, with automatic compensation provided if these standards are not met. The level of GSOP payments was recently increased in 2025 from £30 to £40 to account for inflation since the £30 payment level was set in 2015.
Ofgem is currently reviewing the GSOP framework to assess their adequacy in line with a wider consultation on consumer outcomes, launched on 23 June.
In addition, on 17 June 2026, the Government published its consultation response outlining measures that will be taken to strengthen the powers of the Energy Ombudsman to ensure consumers receive fairer and faster redress where they have not been able to resolve a dispute with their supplier.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
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 deductions from earnings cease promptly after a Universal Credit overpayment decision has been overturned.
Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Where a tribunal decision overturns a Universal Credit overpayment, the decision is implemented through established DWP appeals and decision-making processes. Any resulting change to the claimant’s liability is recorded on the relevant systems and shared with Debt Management, enabling recovery action, including deductions from earnings, to be updated or ceased promptly, where appropriate.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will set out current policies to encourage the reuse of medical equipment such as (a) orthopaedic boots, (b) wheelchairs and (c) crutches within the NHS.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill
The National Health Service is committed to reducing waste, whilst also delivering cost savings and minimising environmental impact, as set out in the Delivering a Net Zero NHS report. Since the publication of the report in 2020, there have been substantial improvements in the number of locally managed walking aid refurbishment and reuse schemes.
A range of resources and communications tools are available to support NHS trusts and patients with returns. This includes the Recycle Now website, where patients can check their nearest drop off location by postcode. As well as hospitals, NHS England has also established systems for walking aid return at waste and recycling centres in collaboration with local authority partners. Some trusts have offered home collection services for reusable walking aids in partnership with local authorities, however such services are less prevalent compared to schemes that utilise drop-off sites.
Additionally, the Design for Life Roadmap sets out the Government’s plan to tackle NHS medical technology waste through a circular economy. The ambition is that by 2045 the NHS will have transitioned away from all avoidable single-use medical products to a system that preserves the value of products for as long as possible. This will drive cost savings, resilience, economic growth, and sustainability by maximising the reuse, remanufacture, and recycling of medical technology, which includes products such as walking aids and other assistive equipment. Further information can be found at the following link:
www.gov.uk/government/publications/design-for-life-roadmap
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
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 support smaller hospitals to (a) mitigate the impact of extreme heat and (b) maintain safe conditions for staff and patients.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Our 10 Year Capital Plan for Health and Social Care set out a clear commitment to renew our focus on climate resilience.
The Plan is backed by record investment, including £6.75 billion to address the most serious infrastructure risks across the National Health Service estate, including critical ventilation and cooling systems. Looking forward, new hospitals and neighbourhood health centres will be designed to modern environmental and resilience standards, helping to reduce overheating risks and improve long-term resilience to climate change.
All NHS organisations are required to maintain robust arrangements for adverse weather, including heatwaves, and are supported by national heatwave planning and UK Health Security Agency guidance. NHS organisations monitor temperatures locally and are expected to take appropriate action to protect patients, staff and services during periods of extreme heat. Technical standards and guidance support trusts in managing overheating risks, ventilation and cooling.