Asked by: Luke Charters (Labour - York Outer)
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 outcomes for children born with Congenital Anomalies and rare diseases; and what steps his Department is taking to improve support available to young people with those conditions when they are transitioning to adult care pathways.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases under the UK Rare Diseases Framework. We published the fifth annual England action plan in February 2026, where we report on the steps we have taken to advance the priorities of the framework. NHS England’s National Disease Registration Service, through the National Congenital Condition and Rare Disease Registration Service, owns several actions within the action plan to improve the identification and understanding of people living with rare diseases in England.
NHS England supports continuity of care based on individual need, rather than age alone. Through the Children and Young People’s Transformation Programme, NHS England has published guidance to support effective transition pathways across physical and mental health services, which is available at the following link:
This sets out a zero to 25 year old model of care, with clearer accountability across services and improved support for 16 to 17 year olds, who may be particularly vulnerable to gaps in care. The guidance supports integrated care systems and providers to deliver coordinated, age-appropriate care and was developed with input from young people and clinicians. In addition, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published a revised quality standard on transition from paediatric to adult health services, incorporating feedback from people living with rare conditions and their families or carers.
Asked by: Luke Charters (Labour - York Outer)
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 support people migrating to Universal Credit from legacy benefits.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
All customers have access to support throughout the process, including the Move to Universal Credit Helpline and independent Help to Claim support provided by Citizens Advice, which offers tailored assistance to help people make and manage their claim.
We also provide eligible customers with Transitional Protection where their Universal Credit entitlement would otherwise be lower than their previous legacy benefit award, ensuring their entitlement is protected at the point of migration.
We recognise that some groups, including Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) customers may be more vulnerable. For these customers, enhanced support is in place from the point they receive their Migration Notice. This includes the Enhanced Support Journey, which offers tailored contact and visiting officer support where appropriate for those who have not yet engaged.
In addition, we have identified that some customers require a personal or corporate appointee but may not have arrangements in place ahead of the ESA closure date. In such cases, we will exempt these customers from the closure date to ensure they are not disadvantaged. This does not mean ESA will remain in payment indefinitely and a final closure date for these customers will be determined in due course.
Asked by: Luke Charters (Labour - York Outer)
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 outcomes for children with neurodegenerative brain conditions.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to improving outcomes for children with neurodegenerative conditions through a combination of earlier diagnosis, better coordinated care, and support for innovation in treatment.
Services for children with rare and complex neurodegenerative conditions are commissioned through a mixed model, with NHS England responsible for highly specialised services and integrated care boards commissioning local, community, and ongoing care. This supports access to multidisciplinary teams and specialist expertise where needed, alongside community‑based care closer to home.
We are taking steps to support earlier diagnosis, including through advances in genomics. The Newborn Genomic Testing Programme will enable earlier identification of genetic causes, allowing timely intervention, access to appropriate treatments, and better-informed care and support for families. Additionally, ongoing work to improve awareness among healthcare professionals, through integrated genomics education, standardised clinical toolkits, and targeted diagnostic surveillance partnerships, is helping to ensure children are identified and referred at the earliest possible stage.
The Government is also supporting improvements in consistency and quality of care through national initiatives such as Getting It Right First Time and the development of service specifications, which help ensure that patients throughout England can access evidence‑based, high‑quality services.
In addition, we continue to invest in research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, supporting studies into rare and neurodegenerative diseases, including the development of new treatments and a better understanding of disease progression. The development of disease‑modifying therapies such as gene therapies and targeted medicines, such as those for spinal muscular atrophy, can slow or alter disease progression, especially when started early. While many neurodegenerative conditions still do not have curative treatments, ongoing research and clinical trials continue to expand the range of therapeutic options available.
This is complemented by the UK Rare Diseases Framework and England Action Plans, which prioritise faster diagnosis, improved coordination of care, and increased awareness of rare conditions.
Asked by: Luke Charters (Labour - York Outer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure (a) safeguarding standards and (b) accountability are applied consistently across all types of schools.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This government remains committed to providing a clear and simple safeguarding framework for all schools. This is set out in our statutory safeguarding guidance, which all schools and colleges must have regard to. This guidance includes ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’, accessible at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2, and ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’, accessible at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-safeguard-children--2.
Schools are held to account for non-compliance with the statutory guidance in a number of ways, including through inspection, complaints and correspondence.
Asked by: Luke Charters (Labour - York Outer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how her Department ensures effective oversight where safeguarding concerns are raised about independent schools.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
All private schools are required to comply with the Independent School Standards (ISS), and schools that fail to meet the ISS at inspection are subject to regulatory action.
Information about regulatory and enforcement action can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/regulating-independent-schools. As part of meeting the standards all independent schools must have regard to statutory safeguarding guidance, Keeping Children Safe in Education: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2.
Asked by: Luke Charters (Labour - York Outer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of artificial intelligence usage in schools on safeguarding.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The department recognises that artificial intelligence (AI) presents both opportunities and risks in education and recognises public concerns around these risks. We are clear that technology is not effective unless it is safe. Our ‘Generative AI in education’ publication makes it clear that safety must be the top priority when taking decisions about use of generative AI in education.
We support schools through Digital and Technology Standards to help them to ensure appropriate filtering and monitoring systems are in place to keep children safe online and protect them from illegal, inappropriate or harmful content.
To drive the safety of AI in education, we have introduced Generative AI Product Safety Standards, which set clear expectations for AI tools used in education. These address risks including harmful or inappropriate content, privacy and data protection, and impacts on children’s cognitive, emotional and social development and mental health.
We are also supporting the sector through published AI support materials, which help staff use AI safely. We continue to build the evidence base to ensure AI is used safely and effectively.
Asked by: Luke Charters (Labour - York Outer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of current regulatory arrangements for the training of healthcare support workers; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure that all staff receive the training, supervision and support they need to deliver safe, high‑quality care.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Healthcare support workers (HCSWs) are not regulated by a statutory professional body. Where HCSWs are working in health and social care services and the provider is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the CQC regulates the service provider who employs them.
Providers are legally required to ensure HCSWs are properly trained, supervised, and competent to deliver safe, high-quality care. They are expected to meet the standards of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, including Regulation 18 (staffing) and Regulation 19 (fit and proper persons employed).
It is the responsibility of individual employers to invest in their workforce and ensure staff receive appropriate ongoing training, supervision, and continuing professional development to deliver safe and effective care.
Asked by: Luke Charters (Labour - York Outer)
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 address shortages of Co-careldopa medication.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has been in contact with suppliers of co-careldopa immediate release and modified release tablets. There is good supply availability in the market for United Kingdom patients.
Asked by: Luke Charters (Labour - York Outer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the revised National Planning Policy Framework supports the creation of (a) safe, (b) inclusive and (c) accessible public spaces for everyone.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, the government consulted a new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The consultation on the revised Framework, which can be found on gov.uk here, included proposals relating to the provision of safe, inclusive and accessible places.
We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish our response in due course.
Asked by: Luke Charters (Labour - York Outer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department will consider introducing a supported entry pathway into PIP and Work Capability Assessment roles for newly qualified nurses.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The department keeps its approach to recruitment for Personal Independence Payment and Work Capability Assessment health professionals (HPs) under continuous review, to ensure it supports high-quality, safe and consistent assessments for claimants.
At present, all HPs undertaking these assessments are required to meet established professional standards, hold current registration and have relevant post-registration clinical experience. These requirements are in place to ensure assessments are carried out safely, and that quality, audit and assurance standards are met.
Any changes to entry requirements would need to demonstrate that HPs are suitably qualified and experienced to undertake assessments effectively, without compromising the safety of claimants or the integrity of the assessment process.