Asked by: Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department plans to take to encourage pupils to read at breakfast clubs in primary schools.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department wants to give schools the flexibility to deliver their breakfast club in the way that best meets the needs of their pupils, as well as their parents and local community, and gets the school day off to a strong start.
The non-statutory guidance for early adopters will help schools on how they go further than just the minimum requirements, including ways to incorporate enriching activities into a breakfast club.
The early adopter schools will test and learn how to deliver new breakfast club provision, and the learning from these, including on enrichment, will inform a national rollout.
Asked by: Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the guidance entitled The reading framework, published on 10 July 2021, what steps her Department plans to take to help ensure that schools develop a strong reading-for-pleasure culture.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
High and rising school standards, with excellent foundations in reading, writing and mathematics, are at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every child the best start in life.
We know that reading for pleasure is hugely important and brings a range of benefits. There are a number of strong links between reading for pleasure and attainment. The 2021 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study report found a 34 point difference in reading performance between pupils in England who “very much” like reading and pupils who “do not” like reading. Additionally, the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment study found that enjoyment of reading links to pupils’ reading engagement and that reading engagement was strongly positively correlated with reading performance. There is also a strong evidence base linking reading for pleasure to other positive effects, such as improved text comprehension and grammar, increased general knowledge and character development. Wide recreational reading expands pupils’ knowledge about the world and about language, as well as their understanding of subject-specific academic and technical vocabulary.
In recognition of this, the department has implemented a range of measures to support reading for pleasure. The English Hubs programme supports the teaching of phonics, early language development and reading for pleasure with funding continuing and £23 million committed for the 2024/25 academic year to support what is set out in the reading framework. For example, through the Transforming Schools Reading Culture, which is a continuous professional development offer delivered via the English hubs to support reading for pleasure.
The current national curriculum states that teachers are expected to encourage pupils to develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information. The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, which will look closely at the key challenges to attainment for young people. This is in line with the government’s ambition for a curriculum that delivers excellent foundations in reading, writing and mathematics.
Asked by: Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on adding the collection of school library data to the school census.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
School libraries complement public libraries by giving pupils access to a range of books and other kinds of texts, both in and out of school. The national curriculum states that teachers are expected to encourage pupils to develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information.
There are a number of strong links between reading for pleasure and attainment. For example, the 2021 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study report found a 34-point difference in reading performance between pupils in England who “very much” liked reading and pupils who “do not” like reading. Additionally, the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment study found that enjoyment of reading links to pupils’ reading engagement, and that reading engagement was strongly positively correlated with reading performance. There is also a strong evidence base linking reading for pleasure to other positive effects, such as improved text comprehension and grammar, increased general knowledge and character development.
It is for individual schools to decide how best to provide and maintain a library service for their pupils. Headteachers have autonomy to decide how best to spend the core schools funding that is allocated to them by the department. The Autumn Budget 2024 announced an additional £2.3 billion for schools for the 2025/26 financial year, compared to 2024/25, bringing the total core schools budget to almost £63.9 billion in 2025/26. Given this autonomy, the department has no current plans to collect information on the number of school libraries or school librarians as part of the school census.
The government’s reading framework offers non-statutory guidance for teachers and school leaders, including helpful guidance for schools on how to organise their school library, book corner or book stock to make reading accessible and attractive to readers.
Asked by: Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
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 raise public awareness of cancer symptoms in teenagers and young adults to improve early detection rates.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
We will get the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier, and treating it faster, so that more patients survive. This includes teenagers and young adults. We are committed to improving outcomes for all children and young people with cancer, and are considering the next steps to take forward work in this area through the relaunch of Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce in 2025.
To raise awareness of cancer symptoms in teenagers and young adults, NHS England and other NHS organisations, both nationally and locally, publish information on the signs and symptoms of many different types of cancer, including those that are most common in children. Further information on cancer signs and symptoms is available on the NHS.UK website.
To support early diagnosis, the Department is taking steps to improve waiting times for cancer diagnosis across all cancer patient groups in England. This includes offering an additional 40,000 appointments each week so that patients can be seen as quickly as possible. To support the use of rapid diagnostic centres, non-specific symptom (NSS) pathways have been rolled out across England for patients who present with vague symptoms which could indicate multiple different types of cancer, for example unexplained weight-loss and fatigue. NHS England’s guidance on NSS services does not set a national age range for NSS pathways, and pathways aimed at children or young adults can be developed if considered locally appropriate.
The Department is also dedicated to ensuring teenagers and young adults with cancer have access to psychological support to help them through their diagnosis and treatment. In accordance with NHS England’s service specifications, all providers of young people's cancer services must ensure that every patient has access to specialist care and must reduce the physical, emotional, and psychological morbidity arising from treatment. Each Principal Treatment Centre, where care is managed, will also have a multi-disciplinary team which meets at least weekly, and includes a specific focus on the psychosocial needs of patients. Further information on NHS England’s service specification is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/commissioning/spec-services/npc-crg/group-b/b05/
On 21 October 2024, the Department launched a national engagement exercise to inform the 10-Year Health Plan. Following publication of the 10-Year Health Plan, there will be a national cancer plan. We are now in discussions about what form it should take, including how we will account for children and young people, and will provide updates in due course.
Asked by: Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
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 ensure that the unique (a) medical, (b) psychological and (c) social needs of (i) teenagers and (ii) young adults with cancer are included within the NHS Long-Term Plan.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
We will get the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier, and treating it faster, so that more patients survive. This includes teenagers and young adults. We are committed to improving outcomes for all children and young people with cancer, and are considering the next steps to take forward work in this area through the relaunch of Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce in 2025.
To raise awareness of cancer symptoms in teenagers and young adults, NHS England and other NHS organisations, both nationally and locally, publish information on the signs and symptoms of many different types of cancer, including those that are most common in children. Further information on cancer signs and symptoms is available on the NHS.UK website.
To support early diagnosis, the Department is taking steps to improve waiting times for cancer diagnosis across all cancer patient groups in England. This includes offering an additional 40,000 appointments each week so that patients can be seen as quickly as possible. To support the use of rapid diagnostic centres, non-specific symptom (NSS) pathways have been rolled out across England for patients who present with vague symptoms which could indicate multiple different types of cancer, for example unexplained weight-loss and fatigue. NHS England’s guidance on NSS services does not set a national age range for NSS pathways, and pathways aimed at children or young adults can be developed if considered locally appropriate.
The Department is also dedicated to ensuring teenagers and young adults with cancer have access to psychological support to help them through their diagnosis and treatment. In accordance with NHS England’s service specifications, all providers of young people's cancer services must ensure that every patient has access to specialist care and must reduce the physical, emotional, and psychological morbidity arising from treatment. Each Principal Treatment Centre, where care is managed, will also have a multi-disciplinary team which meets at least weekly, and includes a specific focus on the psychosocial needs of patients. Further information on NHS England’s service specification is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/commissioning/spec-services/npc-crg/group-b/b05/
On 21 October 2024, the Department launched a national engagement exercise to inform the 10-Year Health Plan. Following publication of the 10-Year Health Plan, there will be a national cancer plan. We are now in discussions about what form it should take, including how we will account for children and young people, and will provide updates in due course.
Asked by: Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
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 (a) increase the use of rapid diagnostic centres and (b) otherwise help improve early diagnosis rates for (i) teenagers and (ii) young adults with cancer.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
We will get the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier, and treating it faster, so that more patients survive. This includes teenagers and young adults. We are committed to improving outcomes for all children and young people with cancer, and are considering the next steps to take forward work in this area through the relaunch of Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce in 2025.
To raise awareness of cancer symptoms in teenagers and young adults, NHS England and other NHS organisations, both nationally and locally, publish information on the signs and symptoms of many different types of cancer, including those that are most common in children. Further information on cancer signs and symptoms is available on the NHS.UK website.
To support early diagnosis, the Department is taking steps to improve waiting times for cancer diagnosis across all cancer patient groups in England. This includes offering an additional 40,000 appointments each week so that patients can be seen as quickly as possible. To support the use of rapid diagnostic centres, non-specific symptom (NSS) pathways have been rolled out across England for patients who present with vague symptoms which could indicate multiple different types of cancer, for example unexplained weight-loss and fatigue. NHS England’s guidance on NSS services does not set a national age range for NSS pathways, and pathways aimed at children or young adults can be developed if considered locally appropriate.
The Department is also dedicated to ensuring teenagers and young adults with cancer have access to psychological support to help them through their diagnosis and treatment. In accordance with NHS England’s service specifications, all providers of young people's cancer services must ensure that every patient has access to specialist care and must reduce the physical, emotional, and psychological morbidity arising from treatment. Each Principal Treatment Centre, where care is managed, will also have a multi-disciplinary team which meets at least weekly, and includes a specific focus on the psychosocial needs of patients. Further information on NHS England’s service specification is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/commissioning/spec-services/npc-crg/group-b/b05/
On 21 October 2024, the Department launched a national engagement exercise to inform the 10-Year Health Plan. Following publication of the 10-Year Health Plan, there will be a national cancer plan. We are now in discussions about what form it should take, including how we will account for children and young people, and will provide updates in due course.
Asked by: Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to ensure that teenagers and young adults with cancer have consistent access to specialist psychological support; and how such plans will be implemented as part of the NHS Long-Term Plan.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
We will get the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier, and treating it faster, so that more patients survive. This includes teenagers and young adults. We are committed to improving outcomes for all children and young people with cancer, and are considering the next steps to take forward work in this area through the relaunch of Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce in 2025.
To raise awareness of cancer symptoms in teenagers and young adults, NHS England and other NHS organisations, both nationally and locally, publish information on the signs and symptoms of many different types of cancer, including those that are most common in children. Further information on cancer signs and symptoms is available on the NHS.UK website.
To support early diagnosis, the Department is taking steps to improve waiting times for cancer diagnosis across all cancer patient groups in England. This includes offering an additional 40,000 appointments each week so that patients can be seen as quickly as possible. To support the use of rapid diagnostic centres, non-specific symptom (NSS) pathways have been rolled out across England for patients who present with vague symptoms which could indicate multiple different types of cancer, for example unexplained weight-loss and fatigue. NHS England’s guidance on NSS services does not set a national age range for NSS pathways, and pathways aimed at children or young adults can be developed if considered locally appropriate.
The Department is also dedicated to ensuring teenagers and young adults with cancer have access to psychological support to help them through their diagnosis and treatment. In accordance with NHS England’s service specifications, all providers of young people's cancer services must ensure that every patient has access to specialist care and must reduce the physical, emotional, and psychological morbidity arising from treatment. Each Principal Treatment Centre, where care is managed, will also have a multi-disciplinary team which meets at least weekly, and includes a specific focus on the psychosocial needs of patients. Further information on NHS England’s service specification is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/commissioning/spec-services/npc-crg/group-b/b05/
On 21 October 2024, the Department launched a national engagement exercise to inform the 10-Year Health Plan. Following publication of the 10-Year Health Plan, there will be a national cancer plan. We are now in discussions about what form it should take, including how we will account for children and young people, and will provide updates in due course.
Asked by: Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
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 help tackle barriers to (a) teenagers and (b) young adults accessing clinical trials; and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of this on UK life sciences.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
To maximise our potential to be a world leader and develop a more competitive, efficient and accessible clinical research system, the Department is committed to implementing recommendations from the Lord O'Shaughnessy independent review of commercial clinical trials in full.
The Department is committed to ensuring clinical trials are people-centred and more accessible, including for teenagers and young adults. For example, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), funded by the Department, provides an online service called 'Be Part of Research' which promotes participation in health and care research by allowing users to search for relevant studies and register their interest. Young adults aged 18 or over, can consent to be matched to and contacted about relevant studies.
The Department through the NIHR also funds research infrastructure provides research expertise, specialist facilities, a research delivery workforce and support services, necessary for the delivery of research nationally, including studies involving teenagers and young adults.
There is currently no assessment planned on the impact of barriers to teenagers and young adults accessing clinical trials on life sciences in the United Kingdom.
Asked by: Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
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 (a) tackle workforce shortages in respiratory care and (b) ensure (i) GPs and (ii) their teams have access to (A) training and (B) accreditation for (1) spirometry and (2) other diagnostic tests.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We have launched a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the National Health Service and make it fit for the future. Ensuring we have the right people, in the right places, with the right skills, including for respiratory care, will be central to this vision.
The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) sets the postgraduate curriculum for general practitioners (GPs) and ensures it remains up to date. All GPs must cover the curriculum before they are able to pass the examination to become a member of the RCGP and to work independently as a GP.
NHS England provides a wide range of resources to the NHS via the eLearning for Healthcare platform, including a respiratory diseases toolkit on the prevention and management of respiratory conditions, and diagnostic tests such as spirometry.
Asked by: Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether any consultation took place between the Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System and (a) local stakeholders, (b) elected officials, (c) the police and (d) community organisations prior to the decision to relocate the North Birmingham Urgent Treatment Centre.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The reconfiguration of services is a matter for the local National Health Service. All service changes should be based on clear evidence that they will deliver better outcomes for patients. The NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board (ICB) conducted its own evaluation to assess the move of the Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) from the Erdington Health and Wellbeing Centre to Good Hope Hospital. The plan aims to increase access to appropriate UTC services and reduce pressure on Good Hope Hospital’s accident and emergency department by ensuring patients who attend accident and emergency can be triaged and treated at the co-located UTC. The relocation of the UTC from its current location also takes into consideration the need to ensure the safety of patients and staff.
Good Hope Hospital is 0.8 miles closer to the original location of the UTC, prior to its first move to the Erdington Health and Wellbeing Centre. Patients continue to be able to access any of the six UTCs operating within Birmingham and Solihull. While the ICB does not plan to provide additional services in Erdington as a result of this temporary emergency change, the Erdington UTC based at the Stockland Green Primary Care Centre remains open for patients in the Erdington area. The ICB has liaised with:
- the UTC provider;
- landlords of the building, NHS Property Services; and
- West Midlands Police.
The ICB has also briefed the Birmingham Health and Scrutiny Oversight Committee, and complied with the Memorandum of Understanding between the Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System and the Birmingham and Solihull Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee regarding local authority health scrutiny of health services.
The permanent future location of the North Birmingham UTC will be decided as part of a review of all UTC provision across Birmingham and Solihull, which is in its preliminary stages. During the process, the ICB will invite feedback from its communities, including elected representatives, to ensure the urgent care offer is fit for purpose and convenient for the ICB’s population in the longer term.
Any decision about the permanent future location will be subject to the normal statutory duties in relation to public involvement and consultation with the local authority.