Asked by: Mark Sewards (Labour - Leeds South West and Morley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of mortgage lending practices for buy-to-let properties on housing affordability for owner-occupiers.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is committed to making the aspiration of home ownership a reality for as many households as possible. To improve housing affordability and help people into homeownership, we continue to take steps to increase the supply of housing. In December 2024, we announced major changes to the National Planning Policy Framework, forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility to deliver 170,000 additional homes and add £6.8 billion to the economy by 2029-30, and have since published a more comprehensive rewrite to make planning policy clearer, more streamlined and pro-growth.
The Government recognises that activity in the buy-to-let market can affect the balance between different housing tenures. Buy-to-let lending practices are commercial matters for individual lenders, in which the Government does not intervene. However, the Government is regularly in contact with mortgage lenders on all aspects of their business, including developments in buy-to-let and owner-occupier lending and their implications for the wider housing market.
Asked by: Mark Sewards (Labour - Leeds South West and Morley)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, whether his Department is taking steps to improve access to affordable finance for established small businesses experiencing temporary financial pressures.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The government is committed to helping viable smaller businesses access the finance they need, including through the Growth Guarantee Scheme (GGS). GGS helps smaller businesses access finance where they may otherwise struggle to do so through the commercial market. In July, the government announced a significant increase to the capacity of GGS, unlocking a further £6.5 billion of lending over the next four years. This is expected to support around 33,000 businesses across all nations and regions of the UK, including viable businesses managing temporary financial pressures.
Asked by: Mark Sewards (Labour - Leeds South West and Morley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of restrictions on employment for skilled workers who have submitted an application to remain in the UK on their application following the loss or revocation of their sponsor's licence.
Answered by Jo White - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Those holding skilled worker visas who have had their leave cancelled following their sponsor’s licence revocation have 60 days to find an alternative means to remain in the UK. This can be within the Skilled Worker route or via another route for which they are eligible.
If they are employed in a role that is no longer permissible for new entrants, they will still benefit from transitional arrangements if they should they apply for a Skilled Worker role, prior to their leave expiring. This means that the restrictions are limited to the period of time they have to regularise their stay.
Published guidance on this matter can be found at: Employees: if your visa sponsor loses their licence - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Mark Sewards (Labour - Leeds South West and Morley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of establishing a dedicated digital online reporting mechanism for victims of transnational repression.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security) (Jointly with the Cabinet Office)
The Government, in consultation with Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP), has assessed that existing reporting channels, including 101 and 999, are the most widely known and easily accessible means of contacting the police, allowing trained professionals to assess reports and refer potential cases of transnational repression (TNR) and foreign interference to specialist teams where appropriate.
The Government will continue to work with policing to strengthen awareness, confidence, and capability in responding to TNR, while ensuring that our approach remains proportionate, effective, and focused on protecting those most at risk.
Asked by: Mark Sewards (Labour - Leeds South West and Morley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on early intervention for neurodivergent children with emerging mental health needs.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department regularly engages with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to ensure children and young people, including those who are neurodivergent, can access the support they need.
We are working with the NHS to expand access to specialist support and are providing £1.8 billion over the next three years for local area partnerships, including local authorities and integrated care boards, to develop an Experts at Hand offer in every area. This will give settings access to advice, training and expertise from professionals such as speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, educational psychologists and specialist teachers, helping staff identify needs earlier and respond effectively so children receive support without unnecessary delays.
Alongside this, Mental Health Support Teams will be expanded to every school and college in England by 2029 supported by £13 million pilot to enhance staff training for neurodivergent and social/emotional needs.
We continue to work closely with DHSC on the forthcoming mental health strategy, due later this year.
Asked by: Mark Sewards (Labour - Leeds South West and Morley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how his Department plans to reduce waiting times for neurology and headache clinic appointments.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There is no nationally published waiting-time data specifically for headache and migraine services. Patients referred for specialist migraine care are captured within broader neurology statistics. As of the end of May 2026, there are nearly 214,700 pathways on the waiting list for neurology services. 61.4% of neurology pathways are waiting within 18 weeks for first treatment.
Reducing waiting lists, including for neurology services, is a key part of the Government’s Health Mission. We are committed to returning to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment by March 2029.
The NHS RightCare Headache and Migraine Toolkit is supporting local NHS systems to improve headache and migraine services, including by providing practical guidance to improve pathways between primary and specialist care, and ensure patients receive the right intervention at the earliest opportunity.
Our 10-Year Health Plan sets a sustainable vision for elective care where by 2035, most outpatient care will happen outside of hospitals. Patients' access to specialists, including neurologists, will be improved by providing this specialist care in the community where possible and increasing digital access to specialists through the NHS App where it’s more convenient for patients.
Asked by: Mark Sewards (Labour - Leeds South West and Morley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how his Department plans to reduce waiting lists for patients with migraine.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There is no nationally published waiting-time data specifically for headache and migraine services. Patients referred for specialist migraine care are captured within broader neurology statistics. As of the end of May 2026, there are nearly 214,700 pathways on the waiting list for neurology services. 61.4% of neurology pathways are waiting within 18 weeks for first treatment.
Reducing waiting lists, including for neurology services, is a key part of the Government’s Health Mission. We are committed to returning to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment by March 2029.
The NHS RightCare Headache and Migraine Toolkit is supporting local NHS systems to improve headache and migraine services, including by providing practical guidance to improve pathways between primary and specialist care, and ensure patients receive the right intervention at the earliest opportunity.
Our 10-Year Health Plan sets a sustainable vision for elective care where by 2035, most outpatient care will happen outside of hospitals. Patients' access to specialists, including neurologists, will be improved by providing this specialist care in the community where possible and increasing digital access to specialists through the NHS App where it’s more convenient for patients.
Asked by: Mark Sewards (Labour - Leeds South West and Morley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the waiting list for treatment for headache and migraine is across the NHS.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There is no nationally published waiting-time data specifically for headache and migraine services. Patients referred for specialist migraine care are captured within broader neurology statistics. As of the end of May 2026, there are nearly 214,700 pathways on the waiting list for neurology services. 61.4% of neurology pathways are waiting within 18 weeks for first treatment.
Reducing waiting lists, including for neurology services, is a key part of the Government’s Health Mission. We are committed to returning to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment by March 2029.
The NHS RightCare Headache and Migraine Toolkit is supporting local NHS systems to improve headache and migraine services, including by providing practical guidance to improve pathways between primary and specialist care, and ensure patients receive the right intervention at the earliest opportunity.
Our 10-Year Health Plan sets a sustainable vision for elective care where by 2035, most outpatient care will happen outside of hospitals. Patients' access to specialists, including neurologists, will be improved by providing this specialist care in the community where possible and increasing digital access to specialists through the NHS App where it’s more convenient for patients.
Asked by: Mark Sewards (Labour - Leeds South West and Morley)
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 support the roll-out of services for chronic migraine in the community.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson
The Government is committed to shifting more care from hospitals into community settings, ensuring that patients with chronic conditions such as migraine can access care closer to home. We support integrated, multidisciplinary models of care that bring together primary, community, and specialist services to better meet the needs of people living with long-term conditions, including migraine.
Integrated care boards are responsible for assessing local health needs and commissioning services for their populations, including community services for people with chronic conditions. NHS England's programmes, including Getting It Right First Time, NHS RightCare, and the development of integrated neighbourhood health services, support systems to improve care pathways, reduce unwarranted variation, and strengthen community-based care.
For people with neurological and other long-term neurological conditions like migraine, NHS England's Adult Neurology Service Specification supports the development of high-quality community-based migraine care by promoting integrated neurological pathways that enable patients to receive appropriate assessment, treatment, and ongoing management closer to home wherever possible. The specification encourages collaboration between primary care, community services, and specialist neurology teams, helping to ensure timely access to expert advice, clear referral pathways, and coordinated care for people with migraine. By supporting a multidisciplinary approach and ensuring that specialist services are focused on patients with the most complex needs, the specification aims to improve patient experience, reduce unwarranted variation in care, and make better use of National Health Service resources.
Asked by: Mark Sewards (Labour - Leeds South West and Morley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to include migraine and other headache conditions within the Pharmacy First initiative.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales
As part of Pharmacy First minor illness consultations, pharmacists can already provide advice and recommend over-the-counter treatments for headaches and migraines. Pharmacists can also supply emergency medicines to patients already prescribed regular migraine medication as part of the urgent medicine supply element of Pharmacy First.
NHS England keeps the clinical scope of all pharmacy services under regular review, including Pharmacy First, and any changes to the conditions covered by the seven clinical pathways would be subject to consultation with Community Pharmacy England.