Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of providing funding to community-led suicide bereavement services.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We recognise the important role that community-led organisations can play in suicide prevention and suicide bereavement services.

While there is no specific national funding allocated for suicide bereavement services, integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning health and care services to meet the needs of their local populations, which may include working with community-led organisations.

As part of the 10-Year Health Plan, we are committed to working closely with voluntary, community, and social enterprise stakeholders as we begin this journey to transform mental health services, tackle the drivers of mental ill-health, and create the conditions to nurture good mental health and wellbeing for all.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of lone working practices introduced under the Co-op’s Project Lunar scheme on employee (a) safety and (b) wellbeing.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 5 September 2025 to Question UIN 71094.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's policy paper entitled Suicide prevention in England: 5-year cross-sector strategy, published on 11 September 2023, what steps his Department is taking to help provide postvention local support services.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We are committed to delivering the Suicide Prevention Strategy for England, which aims to reduce suicide rates and address the risk factors contributing to suicide, as well as improving support for those who have self-harmed or are bereaved by suicide.

We are continuing to work towards the ambition and vision for improving bereavement support over the next five years, as set out in the strategy.

NHS England commissioned the Support After Suicide Partnership to help local health systems to develop suicide bereavement and postvention support services, and which continues to offer support to local areas to embed suicide bereavement services in line with their core standards, which are available at the following link:

https://hub.supportaftersuicide.org.uk/resource/summary-of-core-standards/

A detailed description of the work involved can be found on their website, at the following link:

https://hub.supportaftersuicide.org.uk/standards-intro/

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to take steps to ensure that families of staff seconded to his Department's non-departmental public bodies receive the same recognition of ordinary residence as direct employees of his Department.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence has no such plans as Non-Departmental Public Bodies have delegated authority over their HR policies, including the management of secondees.

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 reduce the time taken to process mandatory reconsiderations for Child Disability Living Allowance applications.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Department is clear that decisions should be made without delay. The department has increased resources to help reduce wait times for Disability Living Allowance Child Mandatory Reconsideration decisions, by recruiting additional decision makers and reallocating decision makers from other parts of the department.

If the decision maker considers that more time is needed to gather or consider evidence in an individual case, they must give themselves that time to ensure they are confident that the decision made is correct.

Found: Baldwin; Chris Coghlan; Bobby Dean; Jim Dickson; John Glen; John Grady; Dame Siobhain McDonagh; Luke Murphy

Found: Salisbury) John Grady (Labour; Glasgow East) Dame Siobhain McDonagh (Labour; Mitcham and Morden) Luke Murphy

Found: h-Eileanan an Iar) Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat; Bath) Anneliese Midgley (Labour; Knowsley) Luke Murphy

Found: h-Eileanan an Iar) Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat; Bath) Anneliese Midgley (Labour; Knowsley) Luke Murphy

Found: Members present: Bill Esterson (Chair); Ms Polly Billington; Torcuil Crichton; Wera Hobhouse; Luke Murphy

Found: Members present: Bill Esterson (Chair); Ms Polly Billington; Torcuil Crichton; Wera Hobhouse; Luke Murphy

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Bill Esterson (Chair); Ms Polly Billington; Torcuil Crichton; Luke Murphy