Asked by: Patricia Ferguson (Labour - Glasgow West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to continue to fund disability-inclusive education programmes.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is committed to mainstreaming a disability inclusion and rights approach across our work. At the recent Global Disability Summit, the UK announced a range of new commitments including ensuring that all FCDO education programming is disability inclusive and includes disability inclusion criteria and targets by 2030. We also joined partners including the United Nations Children's Fund and the International Disability Alliance in committing to champion disability-inclusive education across the education sector to drive progress and accountability. The UK has also taken on the co-Chair of the Global Action on Disability network of governments, multilaterals, civil society, foundations, and private sector actors to drive collaboration on global disability inclusion.
Equality impact assessments, which consider impacts on disability inclusion, are an essential part of how we make decisions, including on Official Development Assistance allocations.
Asked by: Patricia Ferguson (Labour - Glasgow West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help support trainee physicians affected by the withdrawal of speciality training places by the Membership of the Royal College of Physicians.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department asked NHS England to work with the other statutory education bodies in the United Kingdom, the Royal College of Physicians and the General Medical Council to ensure that issues this year with the Membership of the Royal College of Physicians exam is rectified as a matter of urgency, including putting support in place for those affected.
The statutory education bodies and directors of medical education in employing organisations have contacted individuals affected to ensure they understand their options and what support is available. In addition, the Federation of the Royal Colleges of Physicians published detailed information on its website, which is available at the following link:
https://www.thefederation.uk/news/supporting-doctors-affected-2023-mrcpuk-part-2-examination-issue
Asked by: Patricia Ferguson (Labour - Glasgow West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to continue to fund the (a) treatment and (b) elimination of neglected tropical diseases.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Detailed decisions on how the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget will be used are being worked through following the recent Spending Review and through resource allocation processes. We intend to publish final 2025/26 ODA programme allocations in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) Annual Report and Accounts this summer. The FCDO is focused on ensuring that every pound is spent in the most impactful way.
Asked by: Patricia Ferguson (Labour - Glasgow West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if a Minister from his Department will represent the UK at the Eighteenth Session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities from 10 to 12 June 2025.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK will be represented at this year's Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities by Minister Seema Malhotra in her role as Minister for Equalities. Minister Malhotra will be joined by senior officials from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the Cabinet Office, and the Work and Health Unit, a cross-government unit, jointly sponsored by the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department of Health and Social Care.
Asked by: Patricia Ferguson (Labour - Glasgow West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he will continue to provide funding to (a) the Women's Integrated Sexual Health program, (b) other Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights programs and (c) access to those programs for (i) people with disabilities and (ii) other marginalised groups.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Detailed decisions on how the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget will be used are being worked through following the recent Spending Review and through resource allocation processes. We intend to publish final 2025/26 ODA programme allocations in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) Annual Report and Accounts this summer. The FCDO is focused on ensuring that every pound is spent in the most impactful way including by considering the impact for people with disabilities and other marginalised groups in line with the public sector equality duty.
Asked by: Patricia Ferguson (Labour - Glasgow West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to ensure there are adequate clinical fellowships available for junior doctors.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Decisions about recruitment are matters for individual National Health Service trusts. NHS trusts manage their recruitment at a local level, ensuring they have the right number of staff, including clinical fellows, in place, with the right skill mix, to deliver safe and effective care.
Asked by: Patricia Ferguson (Labour - Glasgow West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether Ministers from his Department will attend the Second World Summit for Social Development between 4 and 6 November 2025 in Doha.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government is currently considering attendance at the Second World Summit for Social Development.
Asked by: Patricia Ferguson (Labour - Glasgow West)
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 the number of medical training places is proportionate to the increase in medical student numbers.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are committed to training the staff we need to ensure that patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it.
We will ensure that the number of medical specialty training places meets the demands of the National Health Service in the future. NHS England will work with stakeholders to ensure that any growth is sustainable and focused in the service areas where need is greatest.
To reform the NHS and make it fit for the future, we have launched a 10-Year Health Plan as part of the Government’s five long-term missions. Ensuring we have the right people, in the right places, with the right skills will be central to this vision. We will publish a refreshed workforce plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade, and treat patients on time again.
Asked by: Patricia Ferguson (Labour - Glasgow West)
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 adequate training places are available for junior doctors.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are committed to training the staff we need to ensure that patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it.
We will ensure that the number of medical specialty training places meets the demands of the National Health Service in the future. NHS England will work with stakeholders to ensure that any growth is sustainable and focused in the service areas where need is greatest.
To reform the NHS and make it fit for the future, we have launched a 10-Year Health Plan as part of the Government’s five long-term missions. Ensuring we have the right people, in the right places, with the right skills will be central to this vision. We will publish a refreshed workforce plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade, and treat patients on time again.
Asked by: Patricia Ferguson (Labour - Glasgow West)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to help protect consumers whose radio teleswitch service meters are not switched to smart meters by 30 June 2025.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government has made clear to industry that suppliers must fulfil their obligations to customers and must drive up the rate of Radio Teleswitch (RTS) meter replacements.
As part of the RTS Taskforce we are doing all that we can to protect consumers from any negative impacts, and make sure that the carefully managed phase out process of RTS, which starts from 30 June, is as smooth as possible for consumers.