Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to help tackle digital exclusion in Forest of Dean constituency.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Digital inclusion is a priority for me and for Government. It means everyone has the access, skills, support and confidence to participate in a modern digital society, whatever their circumstances. Work is ongoing to develop our approach to tackling digital exclusion and we hope to announce more on this soon. We look forward to working closely with the third sector, business and local authorities across the UK, including Gloucestershire, to ensure interventions are targeted to and based on individual needs.

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 improve access to (a) treatment and (b) support services for people with arthritis; and what steps he is taking to increase awareness of the condition.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Services for those with musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions, including arthritis, are commissioned locally by integrated care boards (ICBs). The Department expects MSK services to be fully incorporated into integrated care system planning and decision-making.

As announced in the Get Britain Working white paper, we are delivering the joint Department for Work and Pensions, Department of Health and Social Care, and NHS England, Getting It Right First-Time (GIRFT) MSK Community Delivery Programme. With a £3.5 million funding boost, GIRFT teams will deploy their proven Further Faster model to work with ICB leaders to further reduce MSK community waiting times, including for those with arthritis, and improve data and metrics and referral pathways to wider support services.

We will deliver an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments per week during our first year in Government, as a first step in our commitment to ensuring that patients can expect to be treated within 18 weeks. The Government announced £1.5 billion of new capital investment in the Autumn Budget, including investment for new diagnostic scanners and surgical hubs. This investment in scanners will build capacity for over 30,000 additional procedures and 1.25 million diagnostic tests as they come online.

To support health and care professionals in the early diagnosis and management of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, and in the provision of services for people living with arthritis, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published expert guidance for rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, with both pieces of guidance available, respectively, at the following two links:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng100

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng226

The Department funds research into MSK conditions, including arthritis, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Through this route, the Department spent approximately £26.3 million on MSK research in 2023/24, and £79.2 million since 2019/20. In particular, the Leeds Biomedical Research Centre aims to improve treatment for osteoarthritis. The NIHR, in collaboration with Versus Arthritis, also funds a dedicated UK Musculoskeletal Translational Research Collaboration, aligning investment in MSK translational research and creating a United Kingdom-wide ambition and focus to drive cutting edge research and improve outcomes for patients.

In order to improve awareness and understanding of arthritis amongst primary care professionals, including general practitioners, the Royal College of General Practitioners has produced an e-learning module on inflammatory arthritis, in partnership with the British Society of Rheumatology.

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 increase the availability of mental health support for winter 2024-25.

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

We do not underestimate how challenging winter will be again this year for the National Health Service. The national approach on priorities for winter planning was issued on 16 September 2024. As part of this, maintaining patient safety and experience will continue to be an overriding priority.

Building on what we know works, this winter the NHS is implementing a range of initiatives to support those who need care, including that patients will be assessed at the front door of accident and emergency units so that they can then be directed to the most appropriate place to get care, including mental health care.

People with common mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety can self-refer to NHS Talking Therapies Services or be referred by their general practitioner. The Autumn Budget prioritised the funding to deliver expansions of NHS Talking Therapies, demonstrating our commitment to addressing the root cause of mental health issues.

Anyone in England experiencing a mental health crisis can now speak to a trained NHS professional at any time through a new mental health option on NHS 111. Trained NHS staff will assess patients over the phone and guide callers with next steps such organising face-to-face community support or facilitating access to alternatives services, such as crisis cafés or safe havens which provide a place for people to stay as an alternative to accident and emergency or a hospital admission.

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 families of people diagnosed with brain tumours.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

I know that treatment for all cancers is a difficult time for patients and their families.

This government will shift more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to support patients and their families with more personalised care in the most appropriate setting.

We will also get the NHS diagnosing and treating cancer earlier, including through investment in MRI and CT scanners, and improve patients’ and families’ experience.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to help improve access to travel insurance for patients with long-term illnesses.

Answered by Tulip Siddiq

The government is determined that everyone has access to suitable insurance products at the right price.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is the independent body responsible for regulating and supervising the financial services industry, including firms providing travel insurance. Under FCA rules, insurers must offer products that provide fair value. This means that the price a consumer pays for a product or service must be reasonable compared to the overall benefits they can expect to receive. The FCA has robust powers to act against firms that fail to comply with its rules.

Under FCA rules introduced in 2021, if a travel insurance customer is declined cover, offered cover with an exclusion, or charged a significantly higher premium based on their pre-existing medical condition, insurers are required to signpost consumers to a directory of specialist providers who may be better placed to provide cover.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a hub and spoke model to community pharmacy.

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

The Government is working towards introducing legislation to enable hub and spoke dispensing between different legal entities this year. This change will be enabled via amendments to both primary and secondary legislation and is subject to the usual parliamentary processes.

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 fund research into potential treatments for brain tumours to help (a) extend life expectancy and (b) alleviate suffering.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department of Health and care invests over £1.5 billion per year in health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). NIHR research expenditure for all cancers was £121.8 million in 2022/23.

In the five years between 2018/19 and 2022/23, the NIHR directly invested £11.3 million in research projects and programmes focused on brain tumours. In addition, our wider investments in NIHR research infrastructure, including facilities, services and the research workforce, are estimated to be £31.5 million, between 2018/19 and 2022/23, and have enabled 227 brain cancer research studies to take place in the same period. In total, NIHR investments have enabled 8,500 people to participate in potentially life-changing research in the National Health Service over this time.

In September 2024, the NIHR announced new research funding opportunities for brain cancer research, spanning both adult and paediatric populations. This includes a national NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium, to ensure the most promising research opportunities are made available to adult and child patients, and a new funding call to generate high quality evidence in brain tumour care, support, and rehabilitation.

The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including cancer. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made based on the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.

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 ensure that mental health services in rural communities are adequately (a) staffed and (b) supported.

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

Waiting lists for those referred for support are too high including those in rural communities.

People with mental health issues are not getting the support or care they deserve and need, which is why we will fix the system to ensure we give mental health the same attention and focus as physical health and that people can be confident of accessing high quality mental health support when they need it.

Nationally, we plan to recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers across children and adult mental health services in England to reduce delays and provide faster treatment. We will also introduce access to a specialist mental health professional in every school and roll out Young Futures hubs in every community.

In addition, people of all ages who are in crisis or who are concerned about a family or loved one can now call 111, select the mental health option, and speak to a trained mental health professional. National Health Service staff can guide callers with next steps such as organising face-to-face community support or facilitating access to alternative services, like crisis cafés or safe havens, which provide a place for people to stay as an alternative to accident and emergency or a hospital admission. It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICB) to commission care to meet the needs of their local population.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ensure that people in rural communities have access to mental health support within a one-hour radius using public transport.

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

Waiting lists for those referred for support are too high including those in rural communities.

People with mental health issues are not getting the support or care they deserve and need, which is why we will fix the system to ensure we give mental health the same attention and focus as physical health and that people can be confident of accessing high quality mental health support when they need it.

Nationally, we plan to recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers across children and adult mental health services in England to reduce delays and provide faster treatment. We will also introduce access to a specialist mental health professional in every school and roll out Young Futures hubs in every community.

In addition, people of all ages who are in crisis or who are concerned about a family or loved one can now call 111, select the mental health option, and speak to a trained mental health professional. National Health Service staff can guide callers with next steps such as organising face-to-face community support or facilitating access to alternative services, like crisis cafés or safe havens, which provide a place for people to stay as an alternative to accident and emergency or a hospital admission. It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICB) to commission care to meet the needs of their local population.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure that planned reforms to the disability benefit system ensure security and support for seriously ill and disabled people.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

This government believes there is a strong case to change the system of health and disability benefits across Great Britain so that it better enables people to enter and remain in work, and to respond to the complex and fluctuating nature of the health conditions many people live with today. The system must also work to reduce poverty for disabled people and those with health conditions and support disabled people to live independently.

We want to engage with disabled people, and others with expertise and experience on these issues, to consider how to address these challenges and build a better system. We are working to develop proposals for reform and will set them out for consultation and engagement in a Green Paper in spring 2025. This government is committed to putting the views and voices of disabled people at the heart of all that we do, so we will consult on these proposals with disabled people and representative organisations.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the needs of children placed with kinship carers are fully assessed and supported especially in cases of (a) trauma and (b) disrupted care.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The government is determined to give every child the opportunities they deserve, and kinship carers play a crucial role in delivering this.

In October 2024, the department published the new Kinship Care statutory guidance for local authorities, setting out the support and services local authorities should provide to kinship families, including reaffirming the requirement to publish their local offer of support in a clear, accessible way.

The guidance makes it clear that children and young people should receive the support that they and their carers need to safeguard and promote their welfare. There is no limit on the level of support, including financial support, that local authorities can provide. All local authorities should have in place clear eligibility criteria in relation to the provision of support services.

Regulation 11 of the Special Guardianship statutory guidance states that, in the case of a child who was looked after immediately prior to the making of a Special Guardianship Order (SGO), the child, special guardian or parent has a right to receive an assessment by the local authority for support services, which may include financial support.

In the context of kinship foster carers, when considering whether a relative, friend or other connected person should be approved as a foster carer, account must be taken of the needs, wishes and feelings of the child, and the capacity of the carer to meet those particular needs. The child’s placement plan will set out in detail how the placement is intended to contribute to meeting the child’s needs and should make clear any support or services that the kinship foster carer needs in order to meet the needs of the child.

The Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund helps children who were previously looked after and are now in kinship care under a SGO or a Child Arrangements Order and their families access therapeutic interventions related to trauma and attachment.