Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his department has made on improving support for patients with bulimia.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We recognise the devastating impact an eating disorder such as bulimia can have on someone’s life, and the earlier treatment is provided, the greater the chance of recovery. NHS England continues to work with clinical experts, provider collaboratives, and patient groups to strengthen pathways for eating disorder care, including ensuring that specialised services remain accessible to those with the most severe presentations across the full spectrum of eating disorders.
On 20 January 2026, NHS England published its refreshed Eating Disorder Services for Children and Young People national guidance for integrated care boards and providers, setting out how to design collaborative, integrated services that support all children, young people, and their families and carers. Whilst the guidance focuses on improving community pathways for children and young people, the national specialised adult service model continues to provide access to highly specialist inpatient treatment for adults with complex eating disorders, including bulimia, through the Specialised Adult Eating Disorder Units network. These units deliver multidisciplinary care that typically includes psychiatric assessment and treatment, psychological therapies, medical monitoring, dietetic support and structured rehabilitation, and can provide inpatient care for adults with severe and enduring eating disorders, including bulimia, where required.
We have also commissioned an evaluation of the care pathway for children and young people with bulimia, binge eating disorder, and anorexia, in England, including a subsequent economic evaluation. The overall aim is to map out what eating disorder care pathways look like for children and young people and to develop an economic model of resource use, to quantify the relative value for money of each of the pathway elements.
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
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 adequacy of patient parking at hospitals across County Durham.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No assessment has been made by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, of the adequacy of patient parking at hospitals across County Durham.
National Health Service organisations decide locally on the amount of car parking they provide to patients, visitors, and staff, depending on the clinical services they provide and their local environment.
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress her department has made to a) strengthen the Environment Agency and b) support the EAs work to improve the condition of the River Wear.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) works to ensure all sectors, including the water industry, are fulfilling their legal responsibilities to the environment. Where breaches and illegal activity are found, they will not hesitate to hold companies to account.
The Water (Special Measures) Act has provided the most significant increase in enforcement powers to regulators, including EA in a decade, to take tougher action against water companies.
The Environment Agency is regulating Northumbrian Water to ensure it invests in the Wear catchment to reduce sewage discharges and improve water quality through the water industry national environment programme (WINEP). As part of this WINEP cycle, there are approximately 400 investigations and interventions to improve the condition of the River Wear.
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress her Department has made on reform of the credit union common bond.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The government is a strong supporter of the mutual sector, including credit unions, and is working to support its growth in line with the manifesto commitment to double the size of the sector.
On 18 March, the government announced plans to reform the credit union common bond in Great Britain by:
These reforms will help more people get access to fair loans and a safe place to save, so families have a real alternative to high-cost credit.
Full details of the government’s plans have been published in a call for evidence response available on GOV.UK.
The government will legislate to give effect to these reforms as soon as parliamentary time allows.