Asked by: Patrick Hurley (Labour - Southport)
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 lipoedema on commonly associated co-morbidities, including hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not hold centrally collected data on the average time taken to diagnose lipoedema in England. Diagnosis is typically made clinically in primary or specialist care, and timelines can vary depending on individual presentation, awareness of the condition among healthcare professionals, and local referral pathways.
Responsibility for service design and care pathways sits with integrated care boards, which assess and meet the needs of their local populations. Clinicians are expected to draw on available evidence and guidance when diagnosing and managing lipoedema to ensure that care is informed by the best available knowledge, supports consistent clinical decision‑making, and reflects current understanding of this relatively under‑recognised condition. This helps promote safe, effective, and patient‑centred care while allowing clinicians to exercise judgement based on individual need.
Training curricula and continuing professional development are set by independent professional regulators and bodies, and it is for clinicians to maintain their knowledge and skills in line with the needs of their patients.
Clinicians can access a range of relevant education and training through existing professional development routes, including from the Royal College of General Practitioners, and condition-specific training provided by organisations like Lipoedema UK. These resources support clinicians in recognising and managing lipoedema.
Lipoedema is a relatively under‑researched condition, and evidence on co‑existing conditions is still emerging. Clinicians are expected to take a holistic, patient‑centred approach, considering co‑morbidities where present.
Asked by: Patrick Hurley (Labour - Southport)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to develop a national clinical pathway for the diagnosis and management of lipoedema.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not hold centrally collected data on the average time taken to diagnose lipoedema in England. Diagnosis is typically made clinically in primary or specialist care, and timelines can vary depending on individual presentation, awareness of the condition among healthcare professionals, and local referral pathways.
Responsibility for service design and care pathways sits with integrated care boards, which assess and meet the needs of their local populations. Clinicians are expected to draw on available evidence and guidance when diagnosing and managing lipoedema to ensure that care is informed by the best available knowledge, supports consistent clinical decision‑making, and reflects current understanding of this relatively under‑recognised condition. This helps promote safe, effective, and patient‑centred care while allowing clinicians to exercise judgement based on individual need.
Training curricula and continuing professional development are set by independent professional regulators and bodies, and it is for clinicians to maintain their knowledge and skills in line with the needs of their patients.
Clinicians can access a range of relevant education and training through existing professional development routes, including from the Royal College of General Practitioners, and condition-specific training provided by organisations like Lipoedema UK. These resources support clinicians in recognising and managing lipoedema.
Lipoedema is a relatively under‑researched condition, and evidence on co‑existing conditions is still emerging. Clinicians are expected to take a holistic, patient‑centred approach, considering co‑morbidities where present.
Asked by: Patrick Hurley (Labour - Southport)
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 adequacy of training on lipoedema provided to healthcare professionals.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not hold centrally collected data on the average time taken to diagnose lipoedema in England. Diagnosis is typically made clinically in primary or specialist care, and timelines can vary depending on individual presentation, awareness of the condition among healthcare professionals, and local referral pathways.
Responsibility for service design and care pathways sits with integrated care boards, which assess and meet the needs of their local populations. Clinicians are expected to draw on available evidence and guidance when diagnosing and managing lipoedema to ensure that care is informed by the best available knowledge, supports consistent clinical decision‑making, and reflects current understanding of this relatively under‑recognised condition. This helps promote safe, effective, and patient‑centred care while allowing clinicians to exercise judgement based on individual need.
Training curricula and continuing professional development are set by independent professional regulators and bodies, and it is for clinicians to maintain their knowledge and skills in line with the needs of their patients.
Clinicians can access a range of relevant education and training through existing professional development routes, including from the Royal College of General Practitioners, and condition-specific training provided by organisations like Lipoedema UK. These resources support clinicians in recognising and managing lipoedema.
Lipoedema is a relatively under‑researched condition, and evidence on co‑existing conditions is still emerging. Clinicians are expected to take a holistic, patient‑centred approach, considering co‑morbidities where present.
Asked by: Patrick Hurley (Labour - Southport)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average time taken is for patients in England to receive a diagnosis of lipoedema.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not hold centrally collected data on the average time taken to diagnose lipoedema in England. Diagnosis is typically made clinically in primary or specialist care, and timelines can vary depending on individual presentation, awareness of the condition among healthcare professionals, and local referral pathways.
Responsibility for service design and care pathways sits with integrated care boards, which assess and meet the needs of their local populations. Clinicians are expected to draw on available evidence and guidance when diagnosing and managing lipoedema to ensure that care is informed by the best available knowledge, supports consistent clinical decision‑making, and reflects current understanding of this relatively under‑recognised condition. This helps promote safe, effective, and patient‑centred care while allowing clinicians to exercise judgement based on individual need.
Training curricula and continuing professional development are set by independent professional regulators and bodies, and it is for clinicians to maintain their knowledge and skills in line with the needs of their patients.
Clinicians can access a range of relevant education and training through existing professional development routes, including from the Royal College of General Practitioners, and condition-specific training provided by organisations like Lipoedema UK. These resources support clinicians in recognising and managing lipoedema.
Lipoedema is a relatively under‑researched condition, and evidence on co‑existing conditions is still emerging. Clinicians are expected to take a holistic, patient‑centred approach, considering co‑morbidities where present.
Asked by: Patrick Hurley (Labour - Southport)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of fiscal arrangements in supporting long-term regeneration in coastal communities.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The government is committed to working in partnership with the nation’s coastal and rural communities, including Southport, so that they can kickstart growth in their area and make everyone better off.
Many coastal communities sit within mayoral combined authorities - like the West of England CA, Liverpool City Region, and the North East MSA – and therefore benefit from an Integrated Settlement allowing more flexible, long-term funding to invest locally and plan strategically – including on infrastructure investment. Many areas have also received specific support; Southport, for example has received £5m to renovate the Town Hall Gardens and funding for the Regeneration of Southport Pier through the Growth Mission Fund.
Asked by: Patrick Hurley (Labour - Southport)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of permitting development corporations to borrow for regeneration projects outside the Government's fiscal rules on economic growth.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Government recognises the important role that development corporations can play in unlocking large-scale regeneration and
supporting economic growth, including through coordinating investment, land assembly, and accelerating delivery.
Development corporations have significant financial flexibility. They can access central government grants and borrowing. They can co-invest with private and institutional partners to de-risk development and attract additional capital and can develop and hold assets to generate income for reinvestment.
The Government recognises that long-term funding models and financial flexibility will be important to support delivery at scale.
We will continue to consider how best to ensure that development corporations have access to the tools they need to deliver nationally significant growth, working closely with local partners and relevant public financial institutions
Asked by: Patrick Hurley (Labour - Southport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of ports on (a) economic growth, (b) skills and (c) employment in coastal communities.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Ports are essential to economic growth for the United Kingdom as a trading nation, over 85% of whose international trade moves by sea. They are instrumental in promoting the skills necessary for modern logistics, with support from the sector's Port Skills & Safety body. They generate and sustain employment directly and indirectly, on-port and in their hinterland, with a high proportion of workers resident in coastal communities.
Asked by: Patrick Hurley (Labour - Southport)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support schools to tackle antisemitism.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
There is no place for antisemitism in our society, and it is essential that Jewish pupils and staff feel safe. Schools are places of protection as well as education, and must provide a safe and supportive environment for all.
The department is taking forward a comprehensive programme to help tackle antisemitism in education. We have committed £7 million to support schools, colleges and universities, including £1 million for an innovation fund, to help young people identify and challenge antisemitism, misinformation and harmful narratives.
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has commissioned an independent review, led by Sir David Bell, to make practical recommendations so schools and colleges can effectively identify, respond to and prevent antisemitism. The review will conclude in autumn.
The department’s Educate Against Hate website provides free, quality assured resources and guidance to help teachers challenge prejudice and build resilience to harmful narratives and extremism, including antisemitism.
Asked by: Patrick Hurley (Labour - Southport)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department has assessed barriers to effective participation in court proceedings for disabled court users; and what consideration he has given to additional support, including legal aid and advocacy provision, for such court users.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Ministry of Justice and HM Courts and Tribunals Service is committed to supporting disabled people to participate effectively in court and tribunal proceedings. HMCTS has carried out several strands of work which look to understand and improve our users’ experiences, including those of people with disabilities. Examples of such work include, research which explored identifying, understanding and responding to the multiple complex needs of court service users and the HMCTS Reform evaluation vulnerability study. These can be viewed at https://revolving-doors.org.uk/publications/identifying-understanding-and-responding-to-the-multiple-complex-needs-of-court-service-users/ and https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hmcts-reform-evaluation-vulnerability-study.
Based on this evidence, HMCTS is undertaking a range of activity to support vulnerable users, as we recognise that court and tribunal proceedings can be a daunting experience and some users may need additional support to participate effectively. HMCTS published the latest support for vulnerable users in its Vulnerability Action Plan (VAP) updated in April 2025, which can be viewed at www.gov.uk/government/publications/hmcts-vulnerability-action-plan. This outlines how courts and tribunals have changed the way they work to enable vulnerable people to access the justice system and ensure they are not disadvantaged or discriminated against. This is the final version of the VAP in its current format. Future updates on how we support vulnerable users will be published in the HMCTS Annual Report.
HMCTS will provide reasonable adjustments for court and tribunal users with disabilities. Court and tribunal users are encouraged to get in touch with HMCTS to discuss any particular adjustments they may need. HMCTS staff will sensitively ask those needing reasonable adjustments what support they require in order to be able to provide reasonable adjustments and will aim to list cases at suitable venues when there are access needs.
The judiciary's Equal Treatment Bench Book also provides guidance to judges on supporting disabled court users. The Government continues to consider how court and tribunal services can best support vulnerable users, including disabled people, through ongoing court reform and accessibility improvements. Areas of focus across the justice system include ensuring effective participation, maintaining appropriate reasonable adjustments and improving accessibility of court services.
HMCTS is a member of the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower lanyard scheme. Sunflower lanyards are available to collect in all HMCTS buildings for court and tribunal users, to make it easy for people to discreetly show that they may need additional help or time. Court and tribunal staff know how to recognise the Sunflower lanyard and other types of lanyards or card and will ask what they can do to help.
The Government recognises that legal aid is a vital part of the justice system, ensuring those most in need can access publicly funded legal assistance to uphold their legal rights. The Government is committed to ensuring that disabled people have equal opportunity to access legally aided advice and representation as the wider population. To receive legal aid a person must be eligible for legal aid, and their case must be in scope of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO). Where an issue falls outside the scope of civil legal aid, individuals can apply for Exceptional Case Funding (ECF).
Eligibility for legal aid consists of the means test (financial eligibility) and merits test (legal merits of a person's case). There are several disability-related payments that are disregarded from the income and capital assessment as part of the means test; and, therefore, also disregarded for the purposes of calculating contributions towards civil legal aid, and legal aid in the Crown Court. These include but are not limited to Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, direct payments and Attendance Allowance.
Asked by: Patrick Hurley (Labour - Southport)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the availability of (a) apprenticeships and (b) technical training opportunities for young people in coastal communities.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
This Government is transforming the Apprenticeships Levy into a new Growth and Skills Levy in England, backed by £1 billion of additional investment, which will support 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships and give employers, including in coastal communities, greater flexibility to develop the workforce they need to grow and succeed.
As published in the Apprenticeships Accredited Official Statistics publication there were 260 apprenticeship starts by apprentices under the age of 25 in the Southport parliamentary constituency for the 2024/25 academic year (August 2024 to July 2025).
To support non-levy paying employers (typically SMEs) to meet the additional costs associated with employing young apprentices, we are introducing a new apprenticeship hiring payment of £2,000 when they take on eligible 16–24-year-old apprentices, at all levels, as new employees.
Additionally, the government will fully fund apprenticeship training for non-levy paying employers for all eligible young people aged under 25 from the next academic year, to boost small business starts. At the moment, this only happens for apprentices aged 16 to 21 and apprentices aged 22-24 who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or have been, or are, in local authority care.
Regarding wider technical training opportunities, we are supporting providers across the country, including in coastal areas, with over £18 billion per year of funding in post-16 education and skills, delivering record investment this Parliament. This includes specific interventions to drive skills and address shortages in areas such as construction, digital and engineering.
The Post16 Education and Skills White Paper set out our reforms to strengthen the skills system. New V Levels, the expansion of T Levels, and clearer Level 2 routes through Occupational and Further Study Pathways will ensure every young person has a clear choice of education pathways that support them to succeed in work and in life.
T Levels deliver strong outcomes, with 92% progressing to work or further study and many staying in related fields. Alongside other improvements the new T Level industry placement framework allows providers to tailor provision locally, including remote placements where needed, helping overcome barriers to face-to-face opportunities particularly in coastal communities.