Neil Shastri-Hurst
Conservative - Solihull West and Shirley
4,620 (9.9%) majority - 2024 General ElectionFirst elected: 4th July 2024
5 APPG memberships (as of 28 Mar 2025)
Access to Justice, Air Ambulances, Australia, United Kingdom and United States of America (AUKUS), Defence Technology, ThailandDivision Voting information
Neil Shastri-Hurst voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 23 Conservative Aye votes vs 35 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 415 Noes - 47
Neil Shastri-Hurst voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 23 Conservative Aye votes vs 92 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 330 Noes - 275
Neil Shastri-Hurst voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 2 Conservative Aye votes vs 2 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 15 Noes - 8
Neil Shastri-Hurst voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 2 Conservative Aye votes vs 2 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 19 Noes - 3
Neil Shastri-Hurst voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 2 Conservative Aye votes vs 2 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 17 Noes - 5
Neil Shastri-Hurst voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 2 Conservative Aye votes vs 2 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 19 Noes - 3
Neil Shastri-Hurst voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 2 Conservative Aye votes vs 2 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 14 Noes - 8
Neil Shastri-Hurst voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 2 Conservative Aye votes vs 2 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 15 Noes - 8
Neil Shastri-Hurst voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 2 Conservative Aye votes vs 2 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 15 Noes - 8
Neil Shastri-Hurst voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 2 Conservative Aye votes vs 2 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 20 Noes - 3
Neil Shastri-Hurst voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 2 Conservative Aye votes vs 2 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 15 Noes - 8
Neil Shastri-Hurst voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 2 Conservative Aye votes vs 2 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 15 Noes - 8
Neil Shastri-Hurst voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 2 Conservative Aye votes vs 2 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 15 Noes - 8
Neil Shastri-Hurst voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 2 Conservative Aye votes vs 2 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 16 Noes - 7
Neil Shastri-Hurst voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 2 Conservative Aye votes vs 2 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 15 Noes - 8
Neil Shastri-Hurst voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 24 Conservative Aye votes vs 31 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 366 Noes - 41
Debates during the 2024 Parliament
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
Department Debates
(46 debate contributions)
(23 debate contributions)
(11 debate contributions)
(7 debate contributions)
Legislation Debates
(10,209 words contributed)
(648 words contributed)
(503 words contributed)
(445 words contributed)
Solihull West and Shirley Petitions
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
of 6,338 signatures (1.64%)
of 131,164 signatures (0.25%)
of 56,907 signatures (0.22%)
of 232,077 signatures (0.19%)
of 232,077 signatures (0.19%)
of 236,772 signatures (0.19%)
of 224,775 signatures (0.16%)
of 131,164 signatures (0.25%)
Latest EDMs signed by Neil Shastri-Hurst
Housing
Tabled by: Kemi Badenoch (Conservative - North West Essex)That an humble Address be presented to His Majesty, praying that the Housing (Right to Buy) (Limits on Discount) (England) Order 2024 (SI, 2024, No. 1073), dated 28 October 2024, a copy of which was laid before this House on 30 October, be annulled.
(Most recent: 16 Dec 2024)
Signatures by party:
Conservative: 32
Social Security
Tabled by: Rishi Sunak (Conservative - Richmond and Northallerton)That an humble Address be presented to His Majesty, praying that the Social Fund Winter Fuel Payment Regulations 2024 (S.I., 2024, No. 869), dated 22 August 2024, a copy of which was laid before this House on 22 August 2024, be annulled.
(Most recent: 10 Sep 2024)
Signatures by party:
Conservative: 75
Independent: 3
Democratic Unionist Party: 2
Scottish National Party: 1
Commons initiatives
These initiatives were driven by Neil Shastri-Hurst, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Neil Shastri-Hurst has not been granted any Urgent Questions
1 Adjournment Debate led by Neil Shastri-Hurst
Neil Shastri-Hurst has not introduced any legislation before Parliament
Neil Shastri-Hurst has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
Latest 50 Written Questions
(View all written questions)1 Department for Science, Innovation & Technology Questions
(View all Neil Shastri-Hurst's DSIT questions)Ministers and officials have regular meetings with a range of stakeholders representing the civilian space sector.
Details of ministerial meetings, including the purpose of meetings, are published quarterly on the gov.uk website: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dsit-ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
1 Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport Questions
(View all Neil Shastri-Hurst's DCMS questions)The Government recognises the impact harmful gambling can have on individuals and their families. We recognise that there are limitations in the existing evidence on the societal cost of gambling harm and that there is a need for better data and further research on this topic. As stated in its manifesto, the Government is committed to strengthening the protections for those at risk and working with industry on how to ensure responsible gambling. We are considering the best available evidence from a wide range of sources to inform decisions on how best to fulfil the manifesto commitment to reducing gambling-related harm.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
As made clear in the HM Treasury impact assessment, the introduction of VAT is anticipated to have extremely limited impact on the number of pupils in private schools. The department has not seen any evidence that contradicts the expectations set out in the government’s impact assessment.
It is a commercial decision for individual schools to decide how they will fund the additional costs around the VAT policy. There are a variety of ways in which a school may choose to do this, including reducing their surpluses or reserves, cutting back on non-essential expenditure and increasing fees.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Approximately 50 mainstream private schools close each year. There are a range of reasons for closure, including financial viability and action taken by the department where schools are not meeting standards. We expect the number of private school closures to remain relatively low, and be influenced by various factors, not just the VAT policy.
The government is aware there may be a temporary increase in the schools closure rate over the normal rate during the few years after implementation of the VAT policy. It is estimated that this may be broadly equivalent to 100 schools in total closing over the next 3 years, in addition to the normal levels of turnover, after which closures would return to historic norms. The government has conducted a thorough and detailed analysis of this policy’s impacts and published a Tax Impact and Information Note (TIIN), which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vat-on-private-school-fees/ac8c20ce-4824-462d-b206-26a567724643#summary-of-impacts.
Historically, there has been significant turnover within the sector. Since 2000, average fees in the sector have increased by 75% in real terms, while pupil numbers have remained stable, as have total school numbers.
Local authorities routinely support parents who need a state-funded school place, including where private schools have closed. The department works with local authorities to support place planning and ensure there is capacity in the state-funded sector to meet demand. Parents can seek places in other private schools or find a state-funded place through their local authority.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
All state-funded schools are required to teach about first aid as part of the statutory health education set out within the relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) statutory guidance. Independent schools are required to cover health education as part of their responsibility to provide personal, social, health and economic education.
The statutory guidance includes basic first aid for primary school children. For example, dealing with common injuries, such as head injuries. Pupils in secondary schools will be taught further first aid. For example, how to administer CPR and the purpose of defibrillators.
Schools also have the autonomy to decide how they teach first aid and which resources to use, so schools are free to incorporate citizenAID’s materials into their lessons if they choose to.
The department is currently reviewing the statutory RSHE curriculum, which includes considering whether any additional content is needed, including first aid and life-saving skills.
Minister of State (Education)
The department does not collect data about the value of charity given to state schools and local communities by private schools. Therefore, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has not made an estimate of its value in each of the last five years.
The Independent Schools Council, which represents over 1,400 private schools belonging to an association, publishes an annual report which sets out the support private schools give to schools in the state sector through partnership working and bursaries.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Statistics on reported road injury collisions in Great Britain are published based on data reported by police via the data collection known as STATS19.
Within STATS19, reporting police officers can assign up to 6 factors which they believe may have contributed to the collision, including ‘poor or defective road surface’. Contributory factors are assigned based on the opinions of the reporting officer at the scene or within a short time of the collision, rather than a detailed investigation.
The number of road fatalities where a police officer assigned the contributory factor “poor or defective road surface” in Solihull Borough, the city of Birmingham, Warwickshire, Oxfordshire and Worcestershire for the last 4 years for which data are available totalled 1 fatality. This fatality occurred in Warwickshire in 2020.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The previous bus fare cap was unfunded beyond 2024. The Government is stepping in and investing over £150 million to ensure single bus fares in England outside London remain capped at £3 throughout 2025. The cap ensures that millions can continue to travel for less and access better opportunities with potential savings of up to 80% on some routes.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We continue to work closely with Chiltern Railways to support delivery of its train fleet renewal programme to improve passenger experience and drive sustainable growth across the region.
Chiltern is exploring options to procure additional trains, while following robust assurance steps to ensure it has a strong business case that delivers value for money for the taxpayer.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The UK is an active and committed member of IMO, the international body with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping.
As a contracting Government to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972 (COLREGs), and other safety related instruments, the UK has implemented regulations that require UK-flagged merchant ships to comply with internationally agreed safety standards when operating on any international route.
The UK shares information and guidance with Red Ensign flagged vessels to support them in implementing adequate and proportionate measures to support safe operations in challenging environments.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) are reviewing the Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) and guidance of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 regarding provision of disposal facilities in workplace toilets.
This work is included within the government’s wider plans under Make Work Pay, and HSE will hold appropriate consultation in due course.
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) ensures that its investigators handling sexual harassment cases are accredited and equipped with the necessary skills to conduct trauma-informed investigations, compliant with best practice. All DWP investigators assigned to these sensitive cases have undergone specialised training and have successfully completed the Advanced Professional Certificate in Investigative Practice.
This certification ensures they are proficient in best practices for handling complex and sensitive investigations, including:
• Trauma-Informed Approaches: Understanding the impact of trauma on individuals, employing empathetic and non-judgmental communication, and avoiding re-traumatisation during interviews.
• Compliance with Legal and Procedural Standards: Adhering to relevant laws, such as the Equality Act 2010, and ensuring fair, impartial, and thorough investigations.
• Advanced Interview Techniques: Using open-ended, non-leading questions to gather accurate information while being sensitive to the needs of all parties involved.
• Impartial Analysis and Reporting: Maintaining objectivity throughout the investigation, analysing evidence comprehensively, and delivering well-structured and unbiased reports.
By requiring this certification, DWP demonstrates its commitment to fostering a respectful and supportive environment, ensuring that all investigations are handled with the highest standards of professionalism and care.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
DWP internal guidance encourages those experiencing sexual harassment to come forward via their choice of several available routes:
Line Managers
DWP colleagues can speak to their own or a trusted alternative manager.
Ambassadors for Fair Treatment
DWP has over 500 Ambassadors for Fair Treatment (AFTs) who support colleagues to speak up about all forms of bullying, harassment and discrimination. AFTs are ACAS-trained volunteers who provide confidential listening and signposting to any colleague who believes they are facing, have witnessed, or have been accused of bullying, harassment (including sexual harassment) or discrimination. AFTs also deliver information sessions across the department to raise awareness of bullying, harassment and discrimination, and to signpost to further sources of support.
Speak Up Safely helpline
DWP operates a “Speak Up Safely” helpline, which colleagues can call, anonymously if they choose, and in confidence, for advice and signposting. From the 4th – 8th November 2024 DWP ran its annual Speak Up Safely week as part of the wider civil service Speak Up campaign. The week featured a range of events for colleagues across DWP focused on the important role of line managers in creating teams where colleagues feel safe to speak up on concerns and on demystifying the concern raising process in DWP to help colleagues understand the informal, formal and protected way colleagues can speak up on any concerns.
Whistleblowing helpline
Colleagues may raise concerns, including concerns relating to sexual harassment, by speaking to senior managers or through independent routes including the confidential Whistleblowers’ Hotline or via email to the Counter Fraud and Investigation team. Colleagues may choose to raise concerns anonymously.
To ensure protection during the reporting process, managers provide support including regular check-ins with colleagues reporting harassment, to ensure they are not experiencing any repercussions as a result of the report made, and that they feel adequately supported. There is a range of support available to colleagues including Mental Health First Aiders, counselling services, temporary or permanent relocations or change of role, and signposting to external support and advice bodies.
Confidentiality is guaranteed throughout the process.
As a public sector organisation, DWP have a duty to the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED). In line with this we regularly carry out mandatory PSED training across DWP. The most recent training data shows that almost 99% of the target audience completed this learning.
DWP policies are currently being reviewed in line with the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
DWP offers the provision and delivery of a comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme delivered by People Asset Management (PAM). The provision is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and can be accessed either via telephone or email for in the moment support and referrals for counselling by trained personnel.
DWP also has:
- A community of 600 trained Ambassadors for Fair Treatment, who are trained volunteers and whose remit is to be approachable at a time of need, to listen in confidence and to empathise with anyone who believes they are facing bullying, harassment or discrimination, as well as anyone who has been accused of it, and to signpost to further support where appropriate.
- A community of 1600 trained Mental Health First Aiders who are a point of contact for any DWP colleague in need, offering initial help, to listen and reassure, and guide a person towards the right support.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
All formal cases of harassment, bullying and discrimination are required to be flagged with the DWP’s expert HR Investigation Service. In the past year (Dec 23 - Nov 24) the HR Investigation Service has investigated 24 cases of alleged sexual harassment.
DWP is currently defending Employment Tribunal 34 cases, lodged within the past two years, with harassment as one of the heads of claim. The ET1 claim form specifies only “harassment” so the 34 cases include cases of harassment on grounds other than sexual harassment.
DWP has improved data collation and insight over the past year. Data for each of the past 5 years can only be provided at disproportionate cost as it would require collecting data from local managers across the Department.
DWP has not taken formal steps to estimate the number of cases of sexual harassment that are unreported. DWP attaches the highest priority to investigating allegations of alleged sexual harassment and will always listen sensitively to employees raising concerns about alleged harassment and ensure they are fully supported. There are a number of alternative routes for possible reporting of concerns and these are regularly publicised to all colleagues
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
No set date has been agreed for publication, as the wider work of the 10-Year Health Plan and the forthcoming Spending Review will influence the timing of the revised Long Term Workforce Plan later this year.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As well as engaging with patient groups, we have worked hard to engage the patients they represent directly. To engage with patients and the public, we launched Change NHS, the biggest ever conversation about the National Health Service since its creation, with over 190,000 contributions, and 1.6 million visits to our online portal so far. This is aiming to be broadly representative of England's population.
Additional community engagement has focussed on engagement with seldom heard groups. We’ve worked closely with charities, faith groups, health and care providers, local government, and others, to ensure we hear from demographics and communities that may experience barriers to being involved, and to whom the Government often fails to reach.
Further to this, we have also engaged and heard from over 1,600 stakeholder partners, over a quarter of whom advocate for different patient groups.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Ministers and senior Department officials will work with the new transformation team at the top of NHS England, led by Sir Jim Mackey, to determine the structure and requirements of the team required to support the creation of a new centre for health and care.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Most members of working groups, including the chairs, were not compensated for their participation in the groups, and took on group membership as part of, or alongside, their usual role. In a small number of cases, where members of the groups brought their lived experience as a patient or carer to the group, they were compensated for their time in line with usual NHS England practice. Many of the working group meetings took place virtually. Some in-person working group meetings incurred minimal catering costs. Travel and accommodation costs were reimbursed in a small number of cases by exception, and with the prior agreement of the Department or NHS England.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Following an invitation to tender a competition process, we appointed Thinks Insight, Kaleidoscope Health and Care, and the Institute For Public Policy Research to support us to run this engagement exercise. The awarded value of the contract is up to £2,961,595.50, with an option to vary to £3,500,000 in the event that the scope of the contract evolves. This includes running the regional deliberative events with members of the public and health and care staff, further online and in-person engagement activities, the Change NHS online portal, and analysis of the insight received.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The urgent and emergency care improvement plan will set expectations for the National Health Service in England to deliver improvements in urgent and emergency care services and set the foundations for future areas of reform, in line with the 2025/26 NHS Operational Planning Guidance. It is anticipated that the plan will be published as part of the current NHS planning round.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Cancer Plan will be published in the second half of 2025, after the publication of the 10-Year Health Plan. To help inform the content of the National Cancer Plan, on 4 February 2025, the Department launched a Call for Evidence, inviting people from across the country to share their views on what they think should be included within the plan. The Call for Evidence will close on 29 April 2025.
We will provide updates on the development of the plan, including on publication dates, in due course. Those who wish to share their views can do so on the new online platform. Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/shaping-the-national-cancer-plan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department understands the impact that Duchenne muscular dystrophy has on those living with it and their families, and the urgent need for new treatment options. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recently published guidance that recommends the medicine vamorolone for treating Duchenne muscular dystrophy in people 4 years old and over. The National Health Service is required to fund medicines recommended by NICE, normally within three months of the publication of final guidance.
The Department has not had any discussions with ITF Pharma UK about resources or guidance available to NHS trusts participating in the early access programme for givinostat. Departmental officials have had discussions with colleagues in NHS England about the guidance and resources that are available to NHS trusts. NHS England has published guidance for integrated care systems (ICS) on free of charge medicines schemes such as early access programmes, including providing advice on potential financial, administrative, and clinical risks. The guidance aims to support the NHS to drive value from medicines and ensure consistent and equitable access to medicines across England. ICSs should follow the recommendations to determine whether to implement any free of charge scheme, including assessing suitability and any risks in the short, medium, and long term. The guidance is available at the following link:
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department understands the impact that Duchenne muscular dystrophy has on those living with it and their families, and the urgent need for new treatment options. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recently published guidance that recommends the medicine vamorolone for treating Duchenne muscular dystrophy in people 4 years old and over. The National Health Service is required to fund medicines recommended by NICE, normally within three months of the publication of final guidance.
The Department has not had any discussions with ITF Pharma UK about resources or guidance available to NHS trusts participating in the early access programme for givinostat. Departmental officials have had discussions with colleagues in NHS England about the guidance and resources that are available to NHS trusts. NHS England has published guidance for integrated care systems (ICS) on free of charge medicines schemes such as early access programmes, including providing advice on potential financial, administrative, and clinical risks. The guidance aims to support the NHS to drive value from medicines and ensure consistent and equitable access to medicines across England. ICSs should follow the recommendations to determine whether to implement any free of charge scheme, including assessing suitability and any risks in the short, medium, and long term. The guidance is available at the following link:
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Currently, the Government is considering the way forward on a wide range of matters, including clinical negligence costs reform, and we will announce our position in due course.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Between July 2024 and November 2024, the latest available data, there were 1,635,136 more value-weighted activity appointments compared to the period July 2023 to November 2023.
This includes elective ordinary and day case admissions, outpatient first appointments, and outpatient follow-up appointments with a procedure. It does not include other outpatient follow-ups, or diagnostic tests, except for endoscopy tests which are included within elective admissions or outpatient procedures as appropriate.
Including diagnostic tests, between July 2024 and November 2024, the latest available data, there were 2,199,579 more appointments compared to the period July 2023 to November 2023.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Meetings with external organisations are routinely disclosed in the Department’s transparency publications. Two returns have been published since 5 July 2024, one in September, and one in December. Further information is available at the following link:
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Tackling waiting lists is a key part of our Health Mission, and we will deliver an additional two million operations, scans, and appointments during our first year in Government, which is equivalent to 40,000 per week, as a first step in our commitment to ensuring that patients can expect to be treated within 18 weeks.
The Department regularly monitors the number of appointments the National Health Service is delivering using internal management information. Official measurement of the additional appointments will be published at the earliest opportunity.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Tackling waiting lists is a key part of our Health Mission, and we will deliver an additional 2 million operations, scans, and appointments during our first year in Government, which is equivalent to 40,000 per week, as a first step in our commitment to ensuring that patients can expect to be treated within 18 weeks.
Appointments will be defined as those in scope of the Value Weighted Activity metric, which is used to measure elective activity as set out in NHS Operational Planning guidance, together with the key diagnostic times from diagnostic waiting times statistics. Value Weighted Activity includes elective ordinary admissions and day cases, outpatient first appointments, and outpatient follow-up appointments with a procedure. This excludes outpatient appointments without procedure, to ensure that the appointments we are counting are high value for patients. Elective admissions for endoscopies are also excluded to avoid the double counting of diagnostics.
Further information about the delivery of the additional appointments will be published at the earliest opportunity.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We have made the necessary decisions to fix the foundations of the public finances in the Autumn Budget. The employers’ National Insurance rise will be implemented in April 2025. We will set out further details on the allocation of funding for next year in due course.
Primary care providers, including general practitioners (GPs), are valued independent contractors that provide nearly £20 billion worth of National Health Services. Every year we consult with each contracted sector about the services it provides, and the money providers are entitled to in return. As in previous years, this issue will be dealt with as part of that process. We will shortly begin discussions on the annual GP Contract.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We have made the necessary decisions to fix the foundations of the public finances in the Autumn Budget. The employers’ National Insurance rise will be implemented in April 2025. We will set out further details on the allocation of funding for next year in due course.
Primary care providers, including general practitioners (GPs), are valued independent contractors that provide nearly £20 billion worth of National Health Services. Every year we consult with each contracted sector about the services it provides, and the money providers are entitled to in return. As in previous years, this issue will be dealt with as part of that process. We will shortly begin discussions on the annual GP Contract.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We have made the necessary decisions to fix the foundations of the public finances in the Autumn Budget. The employers’ National Insurance rise will be implemented in April 2025. We will set out further details on the allocation of funding for next year in due course.
Primary care providers, including general practitioners (GPs), are valued independent contractors that provide nearly £20 billion worth of National Health Services. Every year we consult with each contracted sector about the services it provides, and the money providers are entitled to in return. As in previous years, this issue will be dealt with as part of that process. We will shortly begin discussions on the annual GP Contract.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
It is the responsibility of individual UK medical schools to determine the content of their own curricula. The delivery of these undergraduate curricula has to meet the standards set by the medical regulator, the General Medical Council (GMC), who monitors and checks to make sure that these standards are maintained. GMC standards require the curriculum to be formed in a way that allows all medical students to meet the GMC’s Outcomes for Graduates by the time they complete their medical degree, which describes the knowledge, skills and behaviour they have to show as newly registered doctors.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Malaria is not currently transmitted in the United Kingdom, but travel-associated cases occur in those who have returned to, or arrived in, the UK from malaria-endemic areas.
Modelling has investigated the impact of different climate change scenarios on the likelihood for plasmodium falciparum transmission in the UK. Four of the five models suggested a low risk by the year 2100, even at extreme scenarios, with the fifth model predicting suitability in southern England for sustained transmission lasting more than one month by 2080.
With climate change, theoretically a warmer summer would reduce the extrinsic incubation of the pathogen in mosquitos and increase the local malaria risk.
No such assessment has been made. The Government has protected the smallest businesses and charities from the impact of the increase to employer National Insurance, by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500, which means that 865,000 employers will pay no National Insurance contributions (NICs) at all next year, more than half of employers will see no change or will gain overall from this package, and all eligible employers will be able to employ up to four full-time workers on the National Living Wage and pay no employer NICs.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to expanding the pharmacy workforce and better utilising the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. That includes making prescribing part of the services delivered by community pharmacists, as we shift care from the hospital to the community.
We have inherited ongoing global supply problems that continue to impact medicine availability. We know how frustrating this can be for patients and community pharmacists. We are working closely with industry, the National Health Service, manufacturers, and other partners in the supply chain to resolve issues as quickly as possible to make sure patients can access the medicines they need.
Now that the budget for the Government has been set, we will shortly be resuming our consultation with Community Pharmacy England regarding the funding arrangements for 2024/25. We are unable to say more until these have been concluded.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are committed to expanding the role of pharmacies and better utilising the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. From 2026, all newly qualified pharmacists will be independent prescribers, and we are investing in training legacy staff to develop clinical and technical roles.
The consultation with Community Pharmacy England on the national funding and contractual framework arrangements has not yet been concluded, and we are looking into this as a matter of urgency.
We have inherited ongoing global supply problems that continue to impact medicine availability. We know how frustrating this can be for patients and community pharmacists. We are working closely with industry, the National Health Service, manufacturers, and other partners in the supply chain to resolve issues as quickly as possible to make sure patients can access the medicines they need.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are committed to supporting improvements to the existing treatment system, ensuring people experiencing gambling-related harm are able to access the right care at the right time.
NHS England now operates 15 specialist gambling treatment clinics, up from two in 2019, with representation across every region in England. Through these clinics, the National Health Service has capacity to treat up to 3,000 people experiencing gambling-related harms each year.
General practitioners are responsible for ensuring their own clinical knowledge remains up-to-date and for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development. This activity should include taking account of new research and developments in guidance, such as that produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), to ensure that they can continue to provide high quality care to all patients.
The NICE is currently developing a gambling-related harms guideline, focused on identification, assessment, and management of people who may be harmed by gambling. Publication is expected later this year.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Veterans can access specialist mental health support either through Op COURAGE, a bespoke integrated mental health pathway for veterans, or NHS Talking Therapies. As of 30 June 2024, Op COURAGE reported that they were actively supporting 2,702 veterans. Since its inception in April 2017, there have been over 38,500 referrals to Op COURAGE. In addition to the Op COURAGE services, between 1 April 2020 and 30 June 2024, 63,810 veterans have entered NHS Talking Therapy treatment services.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including vitiligo. All research proposals compete for available funding. Applications undergo peer review and are judged based on their importance to patients and health services, value for money, and scientific quality. Funding in any disease area depends on the volume and quality of scientific activity. The NIHR has funded research on various aspects of skin diseases, including specifically on vitiligo home interventions, light therapy, ruxolitinib treatment, and the quality of vitiligo randomised controlled trials. The NIHR has also analysed research evidence on the use of ruxolitinib for treating vitiligo as part of an ongoing National Institute for Health and Care Excellence technology appraisal.
8 Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Questions
(View all Neil Shastri-Hurst's FCDO questions)The UK has been advocating and building international support for norms, rules and principles of responsible space behaviours at the United Nations to tackle threats to space systems, reduce the risk of conflict and preserve strategic stability. Since 5 July 2024, the UK has:
Secured support for the UK-led resolution on responsible space behaviours at the UN General Assembly.
Ensured the mandate of the UN Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) on the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space in all its Aspects (PAROS) included norms, rules and principles of responsible space behaviours.
Used the International Security Fund to support diplomatic engagement with a broad range of countries on how responsible space behaviours can address space threats.
Shaped discussion on responsible space behaviours in the Conference on Disarmament.
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As of March 2025, 64 Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) staff have achieved qualifications in Mandarin at C1 or C2 level (in the Common European Framework Reference scale) over the past five years. FCDO language qualifications are valid for 5 years.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Georgia remains at the forefront of Russian hybrid aggression, with Russian military units stationed just 30 minutes from the capital, Tbilisi. In December 2024 I discussed with Georgian Dream representative, Maka Botcharishvili, Russian interference in Georgia. The UK remains vocal at the UN and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), where Russia regularly exerts pressure, in our support for Georgian territorial integrity and sovereignty over the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. We continue to call on the Russian Federation to withdraw their troops from Georgian sovereign territory and reverse recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetian independence.
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Iran's malign activity is unacceptable. In response the to the regime's human rights violations, nuclear weapons programme, malign influence internationally and state threats, the UK has more than 450 sanctions designations in place on Iranian individuals and entities. The UK has also sanctioned the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in its entirety.
We will continue to use all tools at our disposal, to protect the UK and its overseas interests against any threats from the Iranian state.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
This Government is clear that Russia must be held responsible for its illegal war. That includes its obligations under international law to pay for the damage it has caused in Ukraine. Working with allies, we continue to pursue all possible lawful avenues by which Russia can be made to meet those obligations. Our agreement with G7 partners to provide approximately $50 billion in additional funding to Ukraine, repaid by the profits generated on sanctioned Russian sovereign assets, is an important step towards ensuring Russia pays. Our focus is on delivering this commitment, including the UK's £2.26 billion contribution, as soon as possible.
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Since February 2022 the UK has provided fiscal assistance worth £4.1 billion via guarantees for World Bank lending to support Ukraine's economic stability. This includes multi-year assistance worth $3 billion, which will be delivered in yearly $1 billion tranches. This is part of a collective G7 effort over Ukraine's International Monetary Fund programme.
As G7 leaders announced in June, we are working together to implement 'Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration' loans, which will provide approximately $50 billion in additional funding.
An overview of UK support is published on gov.uk [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-support-to-ukraine-factsheet/uk-support-to-ukraine-factsheet].
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Iran continues to provide military, financial and political support to its proxies and partners -jeopardising international security. Iran has also threatened the security of its regional neighbours by attacking Pakistani, Iraqi, Syrian and Israeli territory since January. The Prime Minister spoke to President Pezeshkian on 12 August and the Foreign Secretary called Foreign Minister Araghchi on 23 August. Both urged their counterparts to restrain Iran's proxies and partners and avoid regional escalation.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)