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 reduce therapy waiting times for young people with mental health challenges.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is investing an extra £688 million this year to transform mental health services by hiring more staff, delivering more early interventions, and getting waiting lists down so children can have the best possible start in life. We are delivering on our commitment to recruit an additional 8,500 staff across children and adult mental health services by the end of the Parliament, with 6,700 of these extra workers having been recruited since July 2024.

We also want to intervene much earlier to support better outcomes for children and young people. That is why the 10-Year Health Plan sets out how we will work with schools and colleges to better identify and meet children's mental health needs by expanding mental health support teams in schools to cover 100% of pupils by 2029/30, and by embedding mental health support in the new Young Futures hubs, to ensure there is no 'wrong front door' for people seeking help.

Additionally, we are continuing to provide top-up funding of £7 million to 24 existing early support hubs to expand their services and to take part in an ongoing evaluation of these services in 2025/26. This funding will enable the supported hubs to deliver at least 10,000 additional mental health and wellbeing interventions, so that more children and young people are supported.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of nightlife venue closures on local communities.

Answered by Gareth Thomas

The Government recognises the vital role nightlife venues play in supporting local economies and community cohesion. We also recognise the pressures they are operating under.

That's why we set up the Licensing Taskforce last April, which involved representatives from the nightlife sector to help shape reforms to the licensing system. I published the Government's response on 31st July, outlining a clear plan to support businesses, including the introduction of a new National Licensing Policy Framework to simplify outdated rules, making it quicker, easier, and more affordable to open and run hospitality venues, while helping small businesses grow and communities thrive.

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 help tackle staff shortages in cancer care.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We will continue to ensure that we train the staff we need to ensure patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it, and the cancer plan will reflect this. We will publish a new National Cancer Plan, which will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients. The Government recognises that a cancer-specific approach is needed to meet the challenges in cancer care, and to improve outcomes for people living with cancer.

NHS England is currently improving the recruitment of radiographers and radiologists to improve earlier diagnosis and treatment of cancer, through a range of different initiatives. This includes increasing priority medical specialities, including clinical oncologists. We are also supporting employers to train new radiographers through the apprenticeship pathway. Furthermore, we will ensure that imaging training academies can increase training capacity in addition to reforming training to support rapid development for both radiologists and radiographers.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will implement localised reporting of CAMHS (a) funding and (b) performance.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Every local integrated care board (ICB) has a legal duty to produce an annual report on how it has discharged its functions in the previous financial year. This provides the opportunity for ICBs to demonstrate the full breadth of their work with people and communities and involves people and communities in decision-making, and includes working with children and young people.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will ensure that claimants in receipt of an indefinite award for the mobility part of PIP can receive a Blue Badge for the same period.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Blue Badge holders generally must reapply for a Blue Badge every three years; this gives local authorities the opportunity to ensure that they continue to meet the criteria which make them eligible for a badge. It also helps ensure that the details local authorities hold about the badge holder remain correct and that the details displayed on the badge itself remain legible. Depending on the circumstances an authority may choose not to reassess.

In cases where a person's disability or condition is unlikely to change, local authorities will generally process applications as quickly and efficiently as possible. Once a person’s data is captured on the system it should become easier and less time-consuming for them to reapply for a new badge ahead of their current one expiring.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that LGBT veterans are adequately informed about their rights and how to apply for compensation under the Financial Recognition Scheme.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

As of 1 September 2025, the LGBT Financial Recognition Scheme (FRS) had made payments of £8.3 million to 221 applicants. We have been prioritising payment to applicants who are terminally ill, over 80 and those in significant financial distress to ensure they receive support as quickly as possible, with the first payments issued as planned within 15 weeks of the Scheme going live to these prioritised groups. Applications are now being processed in date order, and we are in the process of recruiting additional staff, to speed up the process.

Defence’s LGBT Restorative Action Team is working closely with external and internal Defence communications teams to deliver campaigns to drive awareness of, and encourage, eligible LGBT Veterans to claim under the FRS. To further support this effort, Defence has allocated £90,000 worth of grants to charities, including Fighting With Pride, to support Veterans with their FRS applications.

The LGBT Restorative Action Team also continues to engage with relevant Veterans networks, and customer facing teams, to ensure that eligible applicants of FRS receive the appropriate information, support, and guidance. The Government encourages those affected by the Ban to visit gov.uk for further information, guidance, and support on how to make an application: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/veterans-of-the-lgbt-ban-financial-recognition-scheme

Payments made by the FRS are not compensation payments and do not seek to compensate for any pecuniary losses or attempt to place personnel in a financial position they could have been in, had the ban not existed.

Neurodivergent children at school

Humanitarian situation in Gaza

Closure of the Fleming Fund

Loan Charge and settlement terms offered to large companies and individuals

Support for local independent businesses, shops, markets and producers

Government policy on the Hillsborough Law

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Found: (from December 2024) 0/1 Rachel Blake MP (from September 2024) 1/1 Lord Gardiner of Kimble 1/1 Marie Goldman

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Found: KohlerTessa Munt Monica Harding Ian RoomeHelen Maguire Rachel Gilmour Susan MurrayJosh Babarinde Marie Goldman

Found: KohlerTessa Munt Monica Harding Ian RoomeHelen Maguire Rachel Gilmour Susan MurrayJosh Babarinde Marie Goldman

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Found: KohlerTessa Munt Monica Harding Ian RoomeHelen Maguire Rachel Gilmour Susan MurrayJosh Babarinde Marie Goldman

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Found: Berry Anna Sabine Jess Brown-Fuller Richard Foord John Milne Monica Harding Rachel Gilmour Marie Goldman

Found: Berry Anna Sabine Jess Brown-Fuller Richard Foord John Milne Monica Harding Rachel Gilmour Marie Goldman

Found: Berry Anna Sabine Jess Brown-Fuller Richard Foord John Milne Monica Harding Rachel Gilmour Marie Goldman

Found: Berry Anna Sabine Jess Brown-Fuller Richard Foord John Milne Monica Harding Rachel Gilmour Marie Goldman

Found: Berry Anna Sabine Jess Brown-Fuller Richard Foord John Milne Monica Harding Rachel Gilmour Marie Goldman

Found: Berry Anna Sabine Jess Brown-Fuller Richard Foord John Milne Monica Harding Rachel Gilmour Marie Goldman

Found: Berry Anna Sabine Jess Brown-Fuller Richard Foord John Milne Monica Harding Rachel Gilmour Marie Goldman