Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Modern Service Framework for Palliative and End of Life Care will be supported by a) national accountability mechanisms and (b) sustainable funding to ensure equitable access to high-quality palliative care services.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Modern Service Framework (MSF) for Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care will provide a clinically led, evidence-based framework to support sustained improvement in patient and carer outcomes, including reducing both inequality and unwarranted variation. Areas of action will be identified for those commissioning and delivering services with associated performance and outcome metrics to support system accountability. The MSF will seek to embed palliative care and end-of-life care within a strategic commissioning model that is centred on population need.
NHS England is working closely with integrated care boards (ICBs) to support more strategic, data‑driven commissioning of palliative care and end-of-life care services. We are asking ICBs to have clear and transparent contractual arrangements in place for commissioned activity across all providers of palliative care, including hospices, to meet population health needs.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the cost of missed appointments in (i) Warwickshire and (ii) nationally; and what steps he is taking to reduce the number of missed appointments.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has made no formal estimate of the cost of missed appointments in Warwickshire or nationally.
However, we’re clear that reducing missed appointments is an important part of improving elective care and making best use of National Health Service capacity to cut waiting times. The Government has committed, in the Elective Reform Plan, to focussed action to reduce missed appointments, including enhancing two-way communication between hospitals and patients, and to use artificial intelligence to predict who will miss appointments, to save up to one million missed appointments. NHS England continues to support the validation of waiting lists, as part of the Government's plans for a more productive and improved approach to elective care which is better for patients. Effective validation helps trusts to understand the true size of their waiting list for better planning and can help avoid missed appointments to reduce overall waiting times.
Locally, trusts are also using data‑led approaches to prioritise proactive appointment reminders, making greater use of the NHS App and patient portals, and targeting specialties with higher non‑attendance rates through outpatient improvement work.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential strategic risk of UK reliance on foreign technologies for critical defence systems.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The UK recognises the importance of ensuring resilience and choice across our most critical of military capabilities. This reflects the approach to long term national security set out in the Strategic Defence Review: ensuring we are integrated into NATO force structures by design, but capable of acting as an integrated sovereign force when needed.
The UK continues to invest in sovereign capabilities where they are operationally essential. For example, we are renewing our secure, sovereign satellite communications capability through the SKYNET 6 programme. The Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) will also deliver a sixth-generation combat air capability in partnership with Italy and Japan.
The forthcoming Defence Investment Plan will set out how the UK will deliver the ambition of the Strategic Defence Review, including where targeted investments are required to strengthen strategic autonomy. This includes consideration of enabling capabilities such as munitions stockpiles, cyber resilience, space assets, and critical industrial capacity.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure the UK develops sovereign capability in defence systems.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The UK recognises the importance of ensuring resilience and choice across our most critical of military capabilities. This reflects the approach to long term national security set out in the Strategic Defence Review: ensuring we are integrated into NATO force structures by design, but capable of acting as an integrated sovereign force when needed.
The UK continues to invest in sovereign capabilities where they are operationally essential. For example, we are renewing our secure, sovereign satellite communications capability through the SKYNET 6 programme. The Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) will also deliver a sixth-generation combat air capability in partnership with Italy and Japan.
The forthcoming Defence Investment Plan will set out how the UK will deliver the ambition of the Strategic Defence Review, including where targeted investments are required to strengthen strategic autonomy. This includes consideration of enabling capabilities such as munitions stockpiles, cyber resilience, space assets, and critical industrial capacity.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what support is provided, including through the British Council, to UK theatre companies touring Shakespeare productions internationally; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of those productions on the UK’s creative exports.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The government provides support for international touring theatre, including Shakespeare productions, primarily through strategic funding delivered by Arts Council England (ACE).
ACE's core investment strengthens theatre resilience across England via the National Portfolio Investment Programme. In 2025/26, ACE provided over £112 million to nearly 200 theatres, while total funding to theatre organisations across all programmes reached £276.9 million, helping organisations such as the Royal Shakespeare Company remain globally competitive.
Recent sector analysis shows that theatre contributes around £2.39 billion in GVA and supports over 200,000 jobs, with international activity forming a key part of this footprint. Evidence from Arts Council England’s State of Touring demonstrates that while domestic touring is often loss-making, international touring can generate surplus income, supported by higher fees and guarantees overseas, which helps subsidise UK-based work.
Additional touring support includes the Incentivising Touring programme, which offers repayable grants, as well as National Lottery Project Grants for international partnerships.
My Department also seeks to address practical barriers for touring professionals through ongoing engagement with international partners.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking with the British Council to expand access to Shakespeare for young people in the UK and overseas, particularly through digital and outreach initiatives.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Shakespeare has no equal for global recognition and influence in English literature and continues to be a source of inspiration for new productions and creations across all artforms and media which the British Council supports and champions globally.
The UK Government provides support to the British Council through the grant-in-aid for its arts and culture work, supporting organisations such as the Royal Shakespeare Company and National Theatre. In addition, many Shakespeare organisations receive support through Arts Council England (ACE).
The British Council has a number of digital resources available on their website following the major year-long global programme of events on the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death in 2016, where more than 140 countries took part in the festivities, with people experiencing Shakespeare through film screenings, exhibitions, performances and in schools, alongside a programme of unique online collaborations.