Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what estimate she has made of the (a) quality and (b) area coverage area for (i) 5G and (ii) other wireless data reception in Bolsover constituency; and what steps she is taking to help improve 5G coverage in that area.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Ofcom is responsible for assessing and reporting on mobile network coverage across the UK. As part of the work to improve the accuracy of mobile coverage data, Ofcom updated their definition of ‘good’ mobile coverage in June 2025 to align with user’s expectations of their mobile service today.

According to their Connected Nations Annual Report, published on 19 November 2025, when applying Ofcom’s updated definition of ‘good’ coverage, which represents combined 4G and 5G coverage, 98.7% of the constituency area of Bolsover has access to this level of connectivity from at least one network operator, with 70.6% of the constituency landmass having ‘good’ coverage from all four.

Our ambition is for all populated areas to have access to higher quality standalone 5G by 2030, and government is working closely with mobile network operators to ensure that the investment that they have committed translates into benefits for communities right across the UK, including in Bolsover. This includes the identification and removal of barriers to deployment where required.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to ensure full mobile phone signal in Bolsover constituency.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Ofcom is responsible for assessing and reporting on mobile network coverage across the UK. As part of the work to improve the accuracy of mobile coverage data, Ofcom updated their definition of ‘good’ mobile coverage in June 2025 to align with user’s expectations of their mobile service today.

According to their Connected Nations Annual Report, published on 19 November 2025, when applying Ofcom’s updated definition of ‘good’ coverage, which represents combined 4G and 5G coverage, 98.7% of the constituency area of Bolsover has access to this level of connectivity from at least one network operator, with 70.6% of the constituency landmass having ‘good’ coverage from all four.

Our ambition is for all populated areas to have access to higher quality standalone 5G by 2030, and government is working closely with mobile network operators to ensure that the investment that they have committed translates into benefits for communities right across the UK, including in Bolsover. This includes the identification and removal of barriers to deployment where required.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what comparative estimate she has made of the average download broadband speed in (a) Bolsover constituency, (b) other Derbyshire constituencies and (c) the East Midlands; and what steps she is taking to help improve download speed in that constituency.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

According to independent website Thinkbroadband, approximately 94% of premises in the Bolsover constituency have access to gigabit-capable broadband, this is higher than the UK average of 89%. They report that the average download speeds in the constituencies of Bolsover, North Derby, South Derby and Derbyshire Dales all exceed 200 Mbps, and exceeds 100 Mbps in the East Midlands region.

To extend coverage, approximately 1,900 premises in the Bolsover constituency are currently in scope of the Project Gigabit contract for Derbyshire, being delivered by Connect Fibre.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions her Department has had with Derbyshire County Council on the adequacy of support for children with special educational needs and disabilities in Bolsover constituency.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

A joint local area special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) inspection was undertaken by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in September 2024, which found widespread and systemic failings leading to significant concerns about the experiences and outcomes of children and young people with SEND.

An improvement notice was issued on 14 January 2025. Ofsted and the CQC approved the priority action plan submitted by the local area partnership (LAP), and a monthly, independently chaired, assurance board monitor’s progress.

The department has put in place systems to track outcomes against the LAPs plan. This includes commissioning a SEND adviser to work collaboratively with an NHS England adviser to challenge, support and monitor progress. Additional support is provided through an intervention support fund, and training through a consortium led by the Council for Disabled Children. Council leaders have written to the department setting out their progress and confirming their commitment to making the improvements necessary.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with relevant stakeholders on securing funding for repair and maintenance works on the early years building at The Brigg Infant School in South Normanton.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Ensuring schools and colleges have the resources and buildings they need is a key part of the department’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every young person the best start in life.

The department is investing almost £3 billion per year by 2034/35 in capital maintenance and renewal to improve the condition of the school and college estate, rising from £2.4 billion in 2025/26.

As part of this, the Embark Multi Academy Trust, which The Brigg Infant School joined in May, received an annual School Condition Allocation of £1,690,088 for the 2025/26 financial year. The department expects to set out allocations for the 2026/27 financial year in the spring. The school should speak to the Trust about any issues with its buildings, so the Trust can consider them when prioritising investment to improve the condition of its schools.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on what terms dementia care specialists have been employed by the NHS in Derbyshire in each of the last five years.

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

This information is not held centrally.

Care for those living with dementia is provided by multidisciplinary teams, with many elements of this care being in place for many years. This includes, but is not limited to, general practitioners, nurses, speech and language therapists, physiotherapists, and social workers.

Provision of dementia health care services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards (ICBs). NHS England would expect ICBs to commission services based on local population needs, taking account of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of a) the quantity and b) the origin of aluminium used in key Ministry of Defence contracts.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Department does not currently track the use of aluminium within the supply chain. Following the recent publication of the Critical Minerals Strategy, of which aluminium is included, the Department will be scoping the best way to build this into the monitoring process that are already taking place.

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 adequacy of joined up working between local authority social services and the NHS in dementia cases where a patient and their carer live in different local authority areas.

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

Carer support where a carer lives in a different local authority or National Health Service integrated care board area is not specifically detailed in the dementia guidance documents. However, all core dementia guidance, including The Dementia 100, The Dementia Care Pathway, and The Dementia RightCare scenario, signal the expectation to provide person-centred, integrated pathways across health and social care. This principle is intended to support carers irrespective of location.

We will deliver the first ever Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. This will be informed by phase one of the independent commission into adult social care, expected in 2026.

Those with dementia will also benefit from more joined-up care through co-created care plans, as by 2027, 95% of those with complex needs will have an agreed care plan.

The My Carer tool will give family, friends, and carers, including those looking after someone with dementia, access to the NHS App. This will ensure decisions are agreed and taken by those who best know the patient, who may not be able to make those decisions independently, whilst making it easier for unpaid carers to manage their care and access professionals whenever they need them.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with relevant stakeholders on making the display of food safety ratings for food businesses compulsory.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) is operated by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in partnership with local authorities across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Businesses in Wales and Northern Ireland are legally required to display their rating stickers at their premises, while those in England are encouraged to do so.

Introducing a statutory scheme with mandatory display of ratings in England would require primary legislation as well as the securing of a suitable legislative vehicle and parliamentary time. The FSA is considering options to bring forward reforms to food regulation and this will include consideration of a mandatory FHRS in England. Ministers will consider the options in due course.

In the meantime, the FSA continues to work with local authority partners and stakeholders to maintain and improve the impacts of the FHRS which is a highly successful public health initiative.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average waiting time for patients awaiting assessment by a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service doctor has been for each of the last five years for which data is available in a) Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, b) Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and c) England.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The following table shows the median waiting time in days between a referral start date and the end of the year for referrals for children and young people aged under 18 years old supported through National Health Service funded mental health, who are still waiting for a first contact as of the end of the year, for the Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, the Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, and for England overall:

In addition, the following table shows the median waiting times in days between referral and first contact, for referrals with a first contact in the year, for the last five years for which data is available in the Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, the Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and in England overall:

Source: Mental Health Services Data Set (MHSDS).

The methodology is based upon that used in the Mental Health Services Monthly Statistics but has been amended to use the first contact in the financial year rather than the quarter, for those still waiting at the end of the year. Published Mental Health Services Monthly Statistics can be found at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/mental-health-services-monthly-statistics

A first contact can be defined as either direct contact, for instance contacts where the patient was present and seen by a health professional, or indirect activity, contacts where the patient wasn't present, but their care was discussed by health professionals. This is in line with existing methodologies for children and young people accessing mental health services.

The submission of the staff details table in MHSDS is not mandatory for providers and thus the usage of this table to identify a doctor would likely result in an undercount. Therefore, first contact in this methodology may or may not be with a doctor, but would typically be with an individual considered to be a health professional.

Figures have been rounded to the nearest whole number for waiting time measures.

NHS England has provided data up to March 2025, as data past this point is still subject to change under the multiple submission window model.

The Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust did not submit any open referrals for March 2022 and therefore referrals from this provider cannot be classed as 'still waiting' and are not included in the figures for 2021/22. In addition, the Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust did not submit any care contacts with an Age at Care Contact between zero and 17 years old for the whole of 2022/23 and therefore are not included in the figures for 2022/23.