Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
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 help ensure that clinicians who have been found to have posed a risk to patients cannot set up as independent (a) psychotherapists and (b) counsellors.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA) operates a voluntary registers programme, which provides a proportionate means of assurance for unregulated professions, that sits between employer controls and statutory regulation by setting standards for organisations holding voluntary registers for unregulated health and social care occupations.
Whilst statutory regulation is sometimes necessary where significant risks to users of services cannot be mitigated in other ways, it is not always the most proportionate means of ensuring public protection. Titles can only be protected for statutorily regulated professions.
The Government would encourage anyone accessing the services of independent psychotherapists or counsellors to establish whether a practitioner is registered with a voluntary accredited register through the PSA website. To meet the standards for PSA accreditation, an organisation must have a focus on public protection and robust processes for handling complaints against practitioners. The organisations accredited by the PSA are independent and do not fall under Government oversight, and any decisions about the practice requirements for the professions they represent are a matter for employers and organisations and their members.
Individual employers are responsible for ensuring their staff are appropriately qualified and that they keep their skills and practice up to date.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
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 help ensure that (a) psychotherapists and (b) counsellors are subject to (i) professional supervision and (ii) continuous professional development.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA) operates a voluntary registers programme, which provides a proportionate means of assurance for unregulated professions, that sits between employer controls and statutory regulation by setting standards for organisations holding voluntary registers for unregulated health and social care occupations.
Whilst statutory regulation is sometimes necessary where significant risks to users of services cannot be mitigated in other ways, it is not always the most proportionate means of ensuring public protection. Titles can only be protected for statutorily regulated professions.
The Government would encourage anyone accessing the services of independent psychotherapists or counsellors to establish whether a practitioner is registered with a voluntary accredited register through the PSA website. To meet the standards for PSA accreditation, an organisation must have a focus on public protection and robust processes for handling complaints against practitioners. The organisations accredited by the PSA are independent and do not fall under Government oversight, and any decisions about the practice requirements for the professions they represent are a matter for employers and organisations and their members.
Individual employers are responsible for ensuring their staff are appropriately qualified and that they keep their skills and practice up to date.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the risks of (a) counsellors and (b) psychotherapists working without (i) statutory regulation and (ii) protection of title.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA) operates a voluntary registers programme, which provides a proportionate means of assurance for unregulated professions, that sits between employer controls and statutory regulation by setting standards for organisations holding voluntary registers for unregulated health and social care occupations.
Whilst statutory regulation is sometimes necessary where significant risks to users of services cannot be mitigated in other ways, it is not always the most proportionate means of ensuring public protection. Titles can only be protected for statutorily regulated professions.
The Government would encourage anyone accessing the services of independent psychotherapists or counsellors to establish whether a practitioner is registered with a voluntary accredited register through the PSA website. To meet the standards for PSA accreditation, an organisation must have a focus on public protection and robust processes for handling complaints against practitioners. The organisations accredited by the PSA are independent and do not fall under Government oversight, and any decisions about the practice requirements for the professions they represent are a matter for employers and organisations and their members.
Individual employers are responsible for ensuring their staff are appropriately qualified and that they keep their skills and practice up to date.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to prevent (a) counsellors and (b) psychotherapists from working if they are not on a voluntary register.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA) operates a voluntary registers programme, which provides a proportionate means of assurance for unregulated professions, that sits between employer controls and statutory regulation by setting standards for organisations holding voluntary registers for unregulated health and social care occupations.
Whilst statutory regulation is sometimes necessary where significant risks to users of services cannot be mitigated in other ways, it is not always the most proportionate means of ensuring public protection. Titles can only be protected for statutorily regulated professions.
The Government would encourage anyone accessing the services of independent psychotherapists or counsellors to establish whether a practitioner is registered with a voluntary accredited register through the PSA website. To meet the standards for PSA accreditation, an organisation must have a focus on public protection and robust processes for handling complaints against practitioners. The organisations accredited by the PSA are independent and do not fall under Government oversight, and any decisions about the practice requirements for the professions they represent are a matter for employers and organisations and their members.
Individual employers are responsible for ensuring their staff are appropriately qualified and that they keep their skills and practice up to date.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to regulate the (a) psychotherapy and (b) counselling professions.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA) operates a voluntary registers programme, which provides a proportionate means of assurance for unregulated professions, that sits between employer controls and statutory regulation by setting standards for organisations holding voluntary registers for unregulated health and social care occupations.
Whilst statutory regulation is sometimes necessary where significant risks to users of services cannot be mitigated in other ways, it is not always the most proportionate means of ensuring public protection. Titles can only be protected for statutorily regulated professions.
The Government would encourage anyone accessing the services of independent psychotherapists or counsellors to establish whether a practitioner is registered with a voluntary accredited register through the PSA website. To meet the standards for PSA accreditation, an organisation must have a focus on public protection and robust processes for handling complaints against practitioners. The organisations accredited by the PSA are independent and do not fall under Government oversight, and any decisions about the practice requirements for the professions they represent are a matter for employers and organisations and their members.
Individual employers are responsible for ensuring their staff are appropriately qualified and that they keep their skills and practice up to date.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding he plans to provide for community mental health hubs in the next three financial years.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not hold this information centrally.
Investment in NHS community services for children and adults is subject to the outcome of future spending reviews.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to (a) maintain and (b) increase funding for local authority smoking cessation services; and if he will take steps to raise public awareness of those services.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government has invested an additional £70 million in 2024/25 to support local authority-led stop smoking services to help smokers quit smoking, and this funding is being used to build capacity and demand. We encourage local authorities to invest in marketing and promoting local interventions to quit smoking. The Department will confirm the settlement for different programmes for future years in due course.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the World Food Programme and Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations' report on Hunger Hotspots June to October 2024, published in June 2024, what assistance he is providing to the (a) five countries and (b) territories on the highest level of alert at risk of famine.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is deeply concerned by the findings of the June-October 2024 Hunger Hotspots report. We are the second largest government donor to the World Food Programme (WFP) and to date in 2024 have contributed over $360 million to WFP programmes, including in Palestine, Sudan, South Sudan and Haiti.
At the G20 Development Ministers Meeting in Brazil in July, I [the Minister for Development] announced the UK would join the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty when it launches this month, to increase political support, unlock finance, share and learn, and work with partners to scale-up lasting solutions to tackle hunger and poverty.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the World Food Programme and Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations' report on Hunger Hotspots June to October 2024, published in June 2024, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle hunger in the countries included in the report.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is deeply concerned by the findings of the June-October 2024 Hunger Hotspots report. We are the second largest government donor to the World Food Programme (WFP) and to date in 2024 have contributed over $360 million to WFP programmes, including in Palestine, Sudan, South Sudan and Haiti.
At the G20 Development Ministers Meeting in Brazil in July, I [the Minister for Development] announced the UK would join the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty when it launches this month, to increase political support, unlock finance, share and learn, and work with partners to scale-up lasting solutions to tackle hunger and poverty.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the World Food Programme and Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations' report on Hunger Hotspots June to October 2024, published in June 2024, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department’s policies of the impact of La Niña weather phenomenon; and what assistance he is providing to the countries and territories which are most impacted.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is closely monitoring the potential development of La Niña conditions and in particular the risk of food security impacts in the Horn of Africa and Southern Africa.
The UK is a committed humanitarian donor, channelling over £277 million in humanitarian aid to African Countries in 2023 and is already operating humanitarian programmes in those countries of concern highlighted in the Hunger Hotspots report. Those programmes are standing by to adapt as required. On 22 August, I [the Minister for Development] announced an additional £15 million of vital assistance to Sudan, South Sudan and Chad.