Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help improve the humanitarian situation in Palestine.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Under the 20-point Gaza Peace Plan, the Government of Israel committed to the full entry of aid without interference. It is unacceptable that over the last 6 weeks, volumes entering Gaza are only 35 per cent of the minimum targets agreed in the Plan.
This is exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and risks undermining the Peace Plan. More crossings and aid corridors must therefore be reopened, and restrictions on humanitarian partners and supplies must be lifted. We will continue to raise these issues directly with the Government of Israel.
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 assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of a respiratory modern Service Framework on winter pressures on the NHS.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Modern service frameworks will define an aspirational, long-term outcome goal for a major condition and will then identify the best evidenced interventions and the support for delivery. Early priorities will include cardiovascular disease, severe mental illness, and the first ever service framework for frailty and dementia.
The Government will consider other long-term conditions for future waves of modern service frameworks, including respiratory conditions. The criteria for determining other conditions for future modern service frameworks will be based on where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. There has not, therefore, been a specific assessment made in relation to winter pressures.
NHS England, working with the Department, the UK Health Security Agency, and other partners, took action to reduce the impact of respiratory conditions on the National Health Service during the winter of 2025/26. Further details of the actions taken to reduce demand on acute services during winter is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/urgent-and-emergency-care-plan-2025-26/
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 steps his Department is taking to help reduce disparities in the early diagnosis of breast cancer.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Reducing disparities in the early diagnosis of cancer, including breast cancer, is a specific priority within the National Health Service’s wider Core20Plus5 approach to reducing healthcare inequalities. Core20Plus25 targets the most deprived 20% of the population and other underserved groups, prioritising five clinical areas where faster improvement can most effectively reduce health inequalities. This is a key way that the National Health Service will work to end variation in early diagnosis of breast cancer and ensure that access to the best diagnosis is possible for everyone.
We are determined to close inequalities in screening and early diagnosis for ethnic minority communities and underserved communities through our new Neighbourhood Early Diagnosis Fund, which is part of £200 million for Cancer Alliances.
The NHS in England collects and analyses data to identify disparities, including in the early diagnosis of breast cancer. The National Disease Registration Service (NDRS) in NHS England is the cancer registry for England and collects data on the diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients. The data collected captures a patient’s complete journey from referral, diagnosis, treatment, outcomes, experience, and survival. NDRS’s strategic priorities focus on making data more timely and accessible, and better understanding health inequalities. To reduce unwarranted variation in outcomes for breast cancer patients, NHS England also funds National Clinical Audits, including for breast cancer. By analysing routine clinical data from NHS settings, these audits identify regional variations in care quality and establish best practices.
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Child Maintenance Service is taking to rectify technical errors in its automated billing system that result in paying parents receiving multiple, conflicting requests for different payment amounts within a single billing cycle; and what compensation is available to parents who have overpaid or underpaid as a result of these errors.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) has not identified any errors in our accounting system. For each case CMS maintain a full record of what is owed, what has been paid, and any balances outstanding. It ensures any over- or under-payments are fully reconciled.
The CMS acknowledges receiving multiple letters may be confusing for a parent. CMS is legally required to issue written confirmation of every maintenance calculation generated, meaning where multiple changes occur in quick succession or when there is a change which impacts a previous calculation a letter must be issued. Each letter is dated and will include an accurate record of the changes made and an updated calculation. In addition, customers can check the position of their case at any time through their online My Child Maintenance Case (MCMC).
CMS is taking steps to improve communications with parents, including retiring outdated letters and updating current letters, with a view to making them more user friendly.
Financial redress is not automatic but may be considered where there is evidence of maladministration that has caused financial loss or significant distress.
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 assessment his Department has made of (a) the prevalence of respiratory disease and (b) the number of emergency hospital admissions for respiratory conditions in City of Durham constituency compared with national averages; and what steps he is taking to ensure respiratory health is prioritised nationally, including through the introduction of a Modern Service Framework for respiratory care.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Data is available for emergency Finished Admission Episodes (FAEs) where there was a primary diagnosis of 'respiratory conditions’. The following table shows the number of FAEs where there was a primary diagnosis of 'respiratory conditions’ for City of Durham and England, for activity in English National Health Service hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector, for 2024/25 and provisionally for 2025/26:
Westminster Parliamentary Constituency of Residence | 2024/25 (August 2024 to March 2025) | 2025/26 (April 2025 to December 2025) |
City of Durham | 760 | 735 |
England | 612,855 | 511,558 |
Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, NHS England.
Available data on trends in respiratory conditions can be found on the Department’s Fingertips dataset. Data is not available by parliamentary constituency. Data is available at regional, county, unitary authority, and integrated care board level. Information for County Durham can be found at the following link:
The Government will consider long-term conditions for future waves of modern service frameworks (MSFs), including respiratory conditions. The criteria for determining other conditions for future MSFs will be based on where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. After the initial wave of MSFs is complete, the National Quality Board will determine the conditions to prioritise for new MSFs as part of its work programme.
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 his Department’s timeline is for deciding on the second wave of modern service frameworks; and whether respiratory conditions will be considered.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Modern service frameworks (MSFs) will define an aspirational, long-term outcome goal for a major condition and then identify the best evidenced interventions and the support for delivery. The first wave was agreed as:
The Government will consider other long-term conditions for future waves of MSFs. The criteria for determining other conditions for future MSFs will be based on where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in the quality of care and productivity. After the initial wave of MSFs is complete, the National Quality Board will determine the conditions to prioritise for new MSFs as part of its work programme.
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 discussions his Department has had with the Secretary of State for Science and Technology on the potential impact of a respiratory modern service framework on the life sciences ecosystem.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government will consider long-term conditions for future waves of modern service frameworks (MSFs), including respiratory conditions. The criteria for determining other conditions for future MSFs will be based on where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. After the initial wave of MSFs is complete, the National Quality Board will determine the conditions to prioritise for new MSFs as part of its work programme.
NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care are working with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to explore innovation and policy opportunities in respiratory health.
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 steps his Department is taking to help ensure NHS England meets its target of 80 per cent breast screening uptake across all regions and eligible groups.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS Breast Screening Programme is seeing improvement in uptake nationally with annual data from NHS England for 2024/25 showing 70.6% of women attending their appointment. However, there is much more to do.
NHS England recently published a review of national actions to improve uptake and next steps. This review details actions taken at a national level so far, such as working towards introducing digital options for sending out invitations and managing appointments, raising awareness of the importance of screening through the media, and facilitating learning and gathering evidence to inform programme policy, pathway changes, and guidance.
The review supports breast screening service providers with national solutions, as well as setting out the focus to drive uptake even further. The programme of work will continue to evolve, reflecting and learning from ongoing improvements to the programme, including from data intelligence and digital innovation. The review is available at the following link:
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the Child Maintenance Service’s (a) call-back performance and (b) adherence to its own service level agreements regarding telephone communication with constituents; and what steps he is taking to help ensure that caseworkers return calls to parents within 48 hours.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) monitors telephony performance daily, including call-back requests and the age of outstanding calls. As of March 2026, over 65% of call backs are completed within the Department’s 48 hour target. Performance is reviewed regularly to maintain service standards and identify where additional support may be required.
CMS is progressing its Service Modernisation Programme, expanding digital, online and telephony channels to improve access and reduce demand on advisers. Increased uptake of online self-service is helping free up resources so caseworkers can focus on customers who need telephone support. CMS are also part of the DWP Digital’s Contact Centre Modernisation Programme which is introducing state of the art contact centre technology. CMS are currently scheduled to onboard to DWPs new telephony platform in Q2 26/27.
The Department continually seeks to review, evaluate, and enhance tools and training material to support staff in delivering a quality customer service and takes timely action to further train and support staff where further improvements can be made. CMS are also addressing some of the known divers of repeat contact. With initiatives taken to enhance information available to caseworkers to enable them answer customer queries more fully during the initial call, thereby reducing the need for follow up contact.
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the international student levy on university incomes.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The International Student Levy will require higher education (HE) providers to pay a flat fee of £925 per international student per year. An impact analysis of the levy published in November 2025 estimated the income losses to the HE sector from the levy in isolation to be £270 million in its first year. The full impact analysis is available here: https://consult.education.gov.uk/international-student-levy-unit/international-student-levy/supporting_documents/international-student-levy-impact-analysispdf.
HE providers are independent from government and as such are responsible for managing their own finances. The department has announced increases to tuition fee limits in line with forecast inflation for the 2025/26, 2026/27, and 2027/28 academic years. We will also legislate, when parliamentary time allows, to increase tuition fee caps automatically for future academic years.
Over the next five years, tuition fee limit uplifts could generate an additional £6 billion for HE providers, significantly outweighing the currently projected less than £1 billion cost of the levy. This approach ensures the sector benefits from compounding annual increases, delivering growing resources to support quality education and innovation.