Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent discussions she has had with the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman on its planned timetable to publish the report on its special investigation into Medomsley Detention Centre.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
I have the deepest sympathy for victims and survivors of abuse suffered at Medomsley Detention Centre. The previous Government, after years of campaigning by victims and survivors, commissioned the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) in October 2023 to undertake a thorough review of the abuse at Medomsley Detention Centre between 1961 and 1987. The investigation commenced in November 2023 and looked into what the authorities knew about the abuse over this period, if there were opportunities for them to take action or intervene, and what action they took.
The PPO has now concluded the evidence-gathering phase of the investigation, and we expect the PPO to publish the final report later this year.
I continue to be grateful to the PPO for their expertise and independence in conducting a rigorous investigation and I hope this will help us to understand how such horrific events were able to take place.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of (a) adult gaming centres and (b) bingo clubs on communities.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Minister for Gambling met with representatives of Bacta, a trade association which represents the adult gaming centre sector, at the Bingo Association Annual General Meeting on 1 May 2025, where she also met with other representatives from the land-based gambling sector. A further meeting between the Minister for Gambling and Bacta is scheduled in May 2025. The Minister has held several other meetings with representatives from the land-based gambling sector.
The Government recognises the contributions that adult gaming centres and bingo clubs make to communities, including providing local employment and spaces where people can have fun and socialise. We will continue to work with the land-based gambling sector to mitigate the risks of gambling-related harm and strengthen player protections in venues.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent meetings she has held with the land based adult gaming sector.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Minister for Gambling met with representatives of Bacta, a trade association which represents the adult gaming centre sector, at the Bingo Association Annual General Meeting on 1 May 2025, where she also met with other representatives from the land-based gambling sector. A further meeting between the Minister for Gambling and Bacta is scheduled in May 2025. The Minister has held several other meetings with representatives from the land-based gambling sector.
The Government recognises the contributions that adult gaming centres and bingo clubs make to communities, including providing local employment and spaces where people can have fun and socialise. We will continue to work with the land-based gambling sector to mitigate the risks of gambling-related harm and strengthen player protections in venues.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
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 with Cabinet colleagues to improve the inclusivity of public services for autistic people.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
From 1 July 2022, service providers registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) are required to ensure their staff receive learning disability and autism training appropriate to their role, as set out in the Health and Care Act 2022. To support this, we are rolling out the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism. Over two million people have now completed the e-learning module, which is the first part of the training.
The Government has also committed to raising awareness of all forms of neurodiversity, including autism, in the workplace. An independent panel made of academics with expertise and experiences of neurodiversity, including autism, has been launched to advise the Government on fostering more inclusive workplaces. This will build on the recommendations outlined in the Buckland Review of Autism Employment, which related solely to autism.
The Department of Health and Social Care is also working closely with the Department for Education on reforms to the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system to improve inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs. We are also supporting earlier intervention for children with SEND through the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme. PINS brings together integrated care boards, local authorities, and schools, working in partnership with parents and carers to support schools to better meet the needs of neurodivergent children and their families.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department uses artificial intelligence to transcribe asylum interviews.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
No.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of enabling medical students to receive their student loan provision at the same rate as previous years alongside the NHS Bursary in their final years of study.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department works closely with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) on a wide range of matters to ensure the education system is supporting healthcare students, including student funding.
The government needs to ensure that the student funding system is financially sustainable, and funding arrangements are reviewed each year. We will continue to engage with DHSC to consider the financial support that medical students receive.
Students attending the fifth and sixth years of undergraduate medical courses and years 2 to 4 of graduate entry medical courses qualify for NHS bursaries. The government has announced an increase to all NHS bursary maintenance grants and allowances for the 2025/26 academic year by forecast inflation, 3.1%, based on the Retail Price Index Excluding Mortgage Interest (RPIX) inflation index.
Medical students qualifying for NHS bursary support also qualify for non-means tested loans for living costs from the department. The government has announced that maximum loans for living costs for the 2025/26 academic year, including reduced rate non-means tested loans for students undertaking NHS bursary years, will also increase by 3.1%.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions her Department has had with the Department for Health and Social Care on (a) medical student finance and (b) the adequacy of total financial support during NHS Bursary funded years of study.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department works closely with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) on a wide range of matters to ensure the education system is supporting healthcare students, including student funding.
The government needs to ensure that the student funding system is financially sustainable, and funding arrangements are reviewed each year. We will continue to engage with DHSC to consider the financial support that medical students receive.
Students attending the fifth and sixth years of undergraduate medical courses and years 2 to 4 of graduate entry medical courses qualify for NHS bursaries. The government has announced an increase to all NHS bursary maintenance grants and allowances for the 2025/26 academic year by forecast inflation, 3.1%, based on the Retail Price Index Excluding Mortgage Interest (RPIX) inflation index.
Medical students qualifying for NHS bursary support also qualify for non-means tested loans for living costs from the department. The government has announced that maximum loans for living costs for the 2025/26 academic year, including reduced rate non-means tested loans for students undertaking NHS bursary years, will also increase by 3.1%.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of encouraging local authorities to adopt the HAF Plus model of delivering the Holiday Activities and Food programme for 13-16 year olds.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The holiday activities and food (HAF) programme supports disadvantaged children and their families during the school holidays, offering enriching activities and healthy food to support their health, development and wellbeing. The department was very pleased to be able to make available more than £200 million for the HAF programme in 2025/26. Delivery across England has already taken place at Easter, with the summer and Christmas holidays to come.
HAF Plus has been adopted by several local authorities as a model for older children, following successful pilots. Through the department’s annual guidance to local authorities who coordinate the programme across England, we encourage flexibility to offer suitable models to older children, with careful consideration given to a different model of food and activity provision. We also strongly encourage consideration of the role that older children can have in supporting, designing and leading sessions for their peers or for younger children, in order to help them to socialise and develop leadership skills, which can be crucial for those in year 9 to 11.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education on (a) medical student finance and (b) the adequacy of total financial support during NHS Bursary funded years of study.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department works closely with the Department for Education on a wide range of matters to ensure the education system is supporting healthcare students, including student funding.
For the 2025-26 academic year, the Government will increase the NHS Bursary tuition fee contributions, maintenance grants and all allowances by 3.1%. This is the second consecutive academic year that this Government has increased support through the NHS Bursary. For the 2025-26 academic year, the Government has also announced that maximum loans for living costs from Student Finance England (SFE), including reduced rate non-means tested loans for students in NHS Bursary years, will increase by 3.1%.
The Government reviews the funding arrangements for medical students annually. This includes the NHS Bursary scheme and SFE support.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of transitioning from Student Finance England support to the NHS bursary on the finances of medical students in their final years of study.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department works closely with the Department for Education on a wide range of matters to ensure the education system is supporting healthcare students, including student funding.
For the 2025-26 academic year, the Government will increase the NHS Bursary tuition fee contributions, maintenance grants and all allowances by 3.1%. This is the second consecutive academic year that this Government has increased support through the NHS Bursary. For the 2025-26 academic year, the Government has also announced that maximum loans for living costs from Student Finance England (SFE), including reduced rate non-means tested loans for students in NHS Bursary years, will increase by 3.1%.
The Government reviews the funding arrangements for medical students annually. This includes the NHS Bursary scheme and SFE support.