Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the extent to which temporary accommodation provided by local authorities includes access to essential (a) furniture and (b) household appliances.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government does not collect data on the furniture and appliances provided in temporary accommodation.
Local authorities can use the Household Support Fund up until March 31, and from April, the Crisis and Resilience Fund, to provide discretionary help with essential items such as furniture and household appliances.
Chapter 17 of the Homelessness Code of Guidance includes information on the suitability of accommodation and makes clear that accommodation which may lack or require sharing of important amenities, such as cooking and laundry facilities, should be avoided wherever possible. You can access the Code of Guidance on gov.uk here.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department provides to local authorities on ensuring that temporary accommodation includes access to basic (a) cooking and (b) washing facilities.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government does not collect data on the furniture and appliances provided in temporary accommodation.
Local authorities can use the Household Support Fund up until March 31, and from April, the Crisis and Resilience Fund, to provide discretionary help with essential items such as furniture and household appliances.
Chapter 17 of the Homelessness Code of Guidance includes information on the suitability of accommodation and makes clear that accommodation which may lack or require sharing of important amenities, such as cooking and laundry facilities, should be avoided wherever possible. You can access the Code of Guidance on gov.uk here.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will introduce flexibility in the Apprenticeship Levy to allow NHS staff who are made redundant to (a) continue, (b) pause, and (c) re-enter levy-funded leadership apprenticeships, particularly where redundancy occurs immediately prior to the start of a programme.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
If an apprentice is made redundant and their training provider can continue to deliver their government funded apprenticeship training, we will continue to fund the apprenticeship training for at least 12 weeks following redundancy. This is to give the individual time to find alternative employment in order to continue with the apprenticeship.
If the apprentice is unable to secure a new employer, they may still be able to finish their apprenticeship training and assessment if they have less than 6 months of training left to complete or have finished 75% or more of their training.
If an individual has been made redundant prior to the commencement of the apprenticeship, then they are not eligible for funding.
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 assessment his Department has made of how NHS services support people with coeliac disease who are facing financial difficulties.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We recognise the pressures people are facing with the rising cost of living and the increased costs incurred by people with coeliac disease because they have to buy gluten-free options, which are often more expensive than their non-gluten-free equivalents.
The Department carried out an analysis of this issue as part of its Equalities Impact Assessment which was published as part of the consultation on the Availability of gluten-free foods on prescription in primary care. A copy of the assessment following this consultation is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/availability-of-gluten-free-foods-on-nhs-prescription
We looked at the equality impact assessment and the consultation responses and, as a result, made the decision to retain gluten-free bread and mixes on National Health Service prescription. This will help enable people with coeliac disease to obtain their basic food needs and mitigate the risk that those on lower incomes are not able to purchase their own gluten-free foods from retail outlets.
The national prescribing position in England remains that gluten-free bread and mixes can be provided to all eligible coeliac patients on an NHS prescription, and a wide range of these items continue to be listed in Part XV of the Drug Tariff. This means that prescribers can issue NHS prescriptions, based on a shared decision between prescriber and patient, while also being mindful of local and national guidance.
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 assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of redundancy on access to levy-funded leadership development for experienced NHS staff; and whether he plans to introduce mitigations to prevent the loss of training opportunities following involuntary redundancy.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No assessment has been made of the potential impact of redundancy on access to levy-funded development for experienced National Health Service staff.
The Department for Education issues guidance for all apprentices who are at risk of redundancy, which is available on their website. This sets out the terms for supporting apprentices at risk of redundancy and for continuing to fund their apprenticeships following redundancy.
To further bolster training opportunities for experienced NHS staff, NHS England is expanding some national leadership and development offers, increasing flexible and mid-career offers, and widening access based on skills and potential rather than linear progression. Additional targeted outreach and career support are being used in places to encourage participation from experienced staff, including during periods of organisational change.
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, how many neurologists working in the NHS have specialist training in Parkinson’s disease in (a) England and (b) Coventry and Warwickshire.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not hold a central count of the number of specialist Parkinson’s nurses employed across the National Health Service, either in England as a whole or in Coventry and Warwickshire specifically.
Specialist Parkinson’s nurses play a vital role in supporting people with Parkinson’s disease through personalised care, medicines management, and advice on self‑management. However, these posts are not recorded as a discrete workforce category in national workforce datasets. Workforce planning, including decisions about the number and type of specialist nurses needed locally, is the responsibility of individual employers and their integrated care boards (ICBs), which are best placed to assess the needs of their populations.
The Department does not hold data on the number of neurologists with specialist training in Parkinson’s disease, either nationally in England or within Coventry and Warwickshire. National workforce datasets do not record condition‑specific sub‑specialisms within neurology, and responsibility for determining local specialist workforce configurations rests with individual employers and ICBs.
As of October 2025, there are 51 full-time equivalent (FTE) doctors working in the specialty of neurology within the Coventry and Warwickshire ICB area. This is a decrease of one, or 2.2%, compared to last year and an increase of 23, or 79.3%, compared to five years ago. This includes 21 FTE consultants. This is an increase of two, or 9.9%, compared to last year and six, or 41.5%, compared to five years ago.
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, how many specialist Parkinson’s nurses are currently employed within the NHS in (a) England and (b) Coventry and Warwickshire.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not hold a central count of the number of specialist Parkinson’s nurses employed across the National Health Service, either in England as a whole or in Coventry and Warwickshire specifically.
Specialist Parkinson’s nurses play a vital role in supporting people with Parkinson’s disease through personalised care, medicines management, and advice on self‑management. However, these posts are not recorded as a discrete workforce category in national workforce datasets. Workforce planning, including decisions about the number and type of specialist nurses needed locally, is the responsibility of individual employers and their integrated care boards (ICBs), which are best placed to assess the needs of their populations.
The Department does not hold data on the number of neurologists with specialist training in Parkinson’s disease, either nationally in England or within Coventry and Warwickshire. National workforce datasets do not record condition‑specific sub‑specialisms within neurology, and responsibility for determining local specialist workforce configurations rests with individual employers and ICBs.
As of October 2025, there are 51 full-time equivalent (FTE) doctors working in the specialty of neurology within the Coventry and Warwickshire ICB area. This is a decrease of one, or 2.2%, compared to last year and an increase of 23, or 79.3%, compared to five years ago. This includes 21 FTE consultants. This is an increase of two, or 9.9%, compared to last year and six, or 41.5%, compared to five years ago.
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 steps he is taking to help address Creon shortages in the NHS.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is aware of ongoing intermittent supply issues with pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT), including Creon capsules. Supplies of Creon and other licensed alternatives have improved in the past year, and specialist importers have sourced unlicensed stock to assist in covering the remaining gap in the market. We continue to work closely with the manufacturers to resolve the issues as soon as possible and to ensure patients have continuous access to medicines.
We have widely disseminated comprehensive guidance to healthcare professionals about these supply issues, which provide advice on how to manage patients whilst there is disruption to supply. This includes serious shortage protocols to limit prescriptions to one month’s supply to ensure equitable distribution of available supplies and that Creon remains available for those patients who need it. The Department has issued additional management advice to healthcare professionals which directs clinicians to consider the unlicensed imports when licensed stock is unavailable and includes actions for integrated care boards to have local mitigation plans in place and implemented to ensure that no patient is left without PERT.
The Department also routinely engages with the affected patient advocacy groups and charities, clinicians, and other relevant stakeholders to ensure they are kept informed on the latest supply picture and any communications issued.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to expand the use of play based and exploratory learning approaches within Key Stage 1 to support children’s cognitive, social, and emotional development.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Curriculum and Assessment Review examined whether England’s curriculum and assessment system is fit for purpose and meets the needs of children and young people. The government’s response set out key national curriculum reforms the department will take forward. We are not commissioning any further research into how the key stage 1 national curriculum should be reformed.
Schools are expected to organise the school day and week in pupils’ best interests, providing a full‑time education suited to their age, aptitude and ability, while allowing time for play and other activities.
The department is working to ensure all children and young people can access a range of enrichment opportunities as part of our mission to break down barriers to opportunity. In some schools, these opportunities may encourage children and young people to play.
Giving young children the best start in life underpins the government’s opportunity mission. Early years are crucial to children’s health, development and life chances. The early years foundation stage statutory framework recognises that play is essential for children’s wellbeing, learning and development, and emphasises the importance of creating cultures that support high quality play.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has (a) commissioned and (b) plans to commission research into the effectiveness of formal versus play based learning approaches for children aged 5 to 7.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Curriculum and Assessment Review examined whether England’s curriculum and assessment system is fit for purpose and meets the needs of children and young people. The government’s response set out key national curriculum reforms the department will take forward. We are not commissioning any further research into how the key stage 1 national curriculum should be reformed.
Schools are expected to organise the school day and week in pupils’ best interests, providing a full‑time education suited to their age, aptitude and ability, while allowing time for play and other activities.
The department is working to ensure all children and young people can access a range of enrichment opportunities as part of our mission to break down barriers to opportunity. In some schools, these opportunities may encourage children and young people to play.
Giving young children the best start in life underpins the government’s opportunity mission. Early years are crucial to children’s health, development and life chances. The early years foundation stage statutory framework recognises that play is essential for children’s wellbeing, learning and development, and emphasises the importance of creating cultures that support high quality play.