Asked by: Lizzi Collinge (Labour - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has undertaken an assessment of the potential merits of creating a sick pay scheme for self-employed people.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is paid for by employers and there is no mechanism to include the self-employed in SSP.
It is important to highlight that many self-employed people already choose to take out some form of insurance or income protection to financially support them during periods of sickness absence.
The Government does have a wider safety net to ensure self-employed people are supported through the welfare system. Where an individual’s income is reduced while off work sick and they require further financial support, they may be able to claim Universal Credit and/or new style Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), depending on their personal circumstances.
New Style ESA is an income-replacement benefit for people who are unable to work because of a health condition or disability and is not an in-work benefit. The aim of ESA is to provide support to individuals who are unable to work due to their disability or health condition, and to help them move towards employment if and when they are able to do so. Eligibility is dependent on satisfying the basic conditions of entitlement and contribution conditions.
Asked by: Lizzi Collinge (Labour - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the value of the Shule Bora Fund is; how much has been spent; and what the remaining balance will be spent on.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The total programme budget of the Shule Bora fund is around £70.7 million with a spend of around £42.4 million to date. The fund will continue to be spent on improving learning outcomes, training teachers, making schools safer and more inclusive, and supporting systemic reforms to ensure equitable access and quality education nationwide. Further information can be found on the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office's Development Tracker website.
Asked by: Lizzi Collinge (Labour - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment the Department has made of the potential merits of limiting the permitted dates for consumer use of fireworks in order to reduce distress to animals and to people.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
No assessment has been made of the potential merits of limiting the permitted dates for consumer use of fireworks. However, the Government is continuing to engage with stakeholders including consumer groups and charities to gather evidence on the issues of fireworks to inform any future action.
The Government also launched a public campaign on fireworks safety for this year’s fireworks season. The campaign includes guidance for those running community fireworks events, which encourages the use of low-noise fireworks and new social media posts that emphasise the risks from the misuse of fireworks.
Asked by: Lizzi Collinge (Labour - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps are being taken to ensure that individuals who have signed an S1 certificate and reside abroad are correctly recorded as non-resident for NHS purposes; and what measures are in place to prevent or recoup costs for any routine NHS treatment received in the UK by such individuals.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department publishes guidance for United Kingdom-issued S1 holders when moving and retiring abroad. UK-issued S1 holders should notify the relevant UK authorities, including their general practitioner, so their general practice registration can be removed. The full guidance can be found at the following link:
www.gov.uk/guidance/moving-living-or-retiring-abroad
The S1 scheme is part of Reciprocal Healthcare Agreements between the UK and European Economic Area/Switzerland. In England, people with a registered UK S1 residing abroad are exempt from charging under the NHS (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 2015 while on a temporary visit. The National Health Service is required to check for the S1 entitlement before applying this exemption. There are therefore no measures in place to prevent or recoup costs from people holding a UK-registered S1. In exchange for providing this additional benefit for UK S1 holders, the UK receives a discount to costs for their healthcare in the country where they live.
Asked by: Lizzi Collinge (Labour - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what his planned timetable is to respond to the 2022 report on the maximum 10 percent commission charged on park home sales; and when his Department plans to open its further evidence-gathering process with the sector.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 63790 on 4 July 2025.
Asked by: Lizzi Collinge (Labour - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to review the duration of medical exemption certificates for people with (a) type 1 diabetes and (b) other lifelong conditions.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Medical exemption certificates allow people with certain medical conditions to obtain their NHS prescriptions without charge, although not all the qualifying conditions which provide exemption are necessarily life-long.
The five-year duration ensures that a patient’s continued eligibility is confirmed by a health professional, whilst minimising the burden on the patient and healthcare staff and creating a check point at least once every five years on the accuracy of patient details for verification of claims for exemption and for fraud detection purposes.
Therefore, there are currently no plans to review the duration of medical exemption certificates for people with type 1 diabetes and other lifelong conditions.
Asked by: Lizzi Collinge (Labour - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
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 update families affected by sodium valproate on compensation following publication of the Hughes Report; and when families should expect to receive details of (a) interim and (b) main payments.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is carefully considering the work by the Patient Safety Commissioner and her report, which set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. This is a complex issue involving input from different Government departments. The Government will provide a further update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report.
Asked by: Lizzi Collinge (Labour - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
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 access to (a) gender identity and (b) trans healthcare services.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England has established NHS Children and Young People's Gender Services in London, the North-West, and the South-West in 2024. A fourth service is planned to open in the East England region in January 2026. Work remains ongoing to establish commissioned services that provide a pathway for children and young people with gender incongruence in the other regions, by March 2027, on a phased basis.
NHS England has increased the number of adult Gender Dysphoria Clinics in England from seven to 12, with the rollout of five new adult gender pilot clinics since July 2020. The rollout of these clinics is helping to tackle long waiting times.
NHS England is currently carrying out a review of adult gender services, with the aim of producing an updated service specification. The review, which is chaired by Dr David Levy, will examine the model of care and operating procedures of each service, and will carefully consider experiences, feedback, and outcomes from clinicians and patients.
Asked by: Lizzi Collinge (Labour - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her planned timetable is for responding to the Migration Advisory Committee’s recommendations on the minimum income requirement for the UK’s spouse and partner visa routes.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The report is under review and we will consider the recommendations made by the MAC. The Home Secretary will respond to the review in due course.
Asked by: Lizzi Collinge (Labour - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has considered mandating the incorporation of the National Conditions of Service for Teachers in England and Wales 2023 into employment contracts for teachers in academies.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Morecambe and Lunesdale to the answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 80414.