Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether training is available through the NHS for school nurses on managing allergies and administering adrenaline auto-injectors.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) sets the standards for education preparation for school nurses, who are registered nurses that undertake a post-graduate Specialist Public Health Nurse qualification with an NMC-approved university. School nurses will then also undertake any mandatory training required by their employer, as appropriate to their role.

Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 places a duty on schools to make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions. Schools should ensure they are aware of any pupils with medical conditions, and should have policies and processes in place to ensure these can be well managed. This includes allergies. The policy should also set out how staff will be supported in carrying out their role to support pupils, including how training needs are assessed and how training is commissioned and provided. Any member of school staff providing support to a pupil with medical needs should have received suitable training.

NHS England has also produced the Healthy School Child e-learning programme, which is available at the following link:

https://www.e-lfh.org.uk/programmes/healthy-school-child/

This programme is designed for healthcare professionals, including school nurses, working with children aged between five and 12 years old. Module 5 of the e-learning programme includes sessions on asthma, eczema, and other allergies.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will hold discussions with patient experience boards from integrated care boards to help inform the restructuring of (a) NHS England and (b) his Department.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department and NHS England are strongly committed to embedding patient experience across our work. On the transformation programme to restructure NHS England and the Department, the change is being explicitly designed to take forward the Government’s ambitious reform agenda and three strategic shifts which will be set out in the forthcoming 10-Year Health Plan. Patient experience will feature as a prominent theme in the Plan.

Work is progressing at pace to develop the design and operating model for the new integrated organisation, and plan for the smooth transfer of people, functions and responsibilities. At the appropriate time, we will ensure that the public and parliamentarians are updated on developments.

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 trends in the level of ketamine abuse among young people.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department takes seriously the threat ketamine use poses to young people. Local authorities are responsible for providing drug treatment services based on the needs of their local populations, and this includes services to support ketamine users. In addition to the Public Health Grant, in 2025/26 the Department is providing a total of £310 million in additional targeted grants to improve drug and alcohol services and wider recovery support, including housing and employment.

Local authorities, Combating Drugs Partnerships, and treatment providers lead on prevention, harm reduction, and treatment interventions, which includes awareness raising. Widespread action is already in progress through local and regional initiatives. Many of the national treatment providers, as well as local areas, have developed bespoke awareness-raising resources and approaches in response to ketamine, and a number have held events for professionals working in the field. In addition to this, the Department recently cascaded a briefing to local authorities and treatment systems on data on ketamine use and guidance on prevention, harm reduction, and treatment interventions. Department of Health and Social Care and Home Office ministers have written to festival organisers, asking them to work closely with police and health partners on their harm reduction and first aid measures, which includes highlighting the dangers of ketamine. The Department has also worked with the National Police Chiefs’ Council on a joint letter and advice for the police and local authorities about festivals, drugs, and alcohol, to minimise the risk of harm to individuals at these events.

Statutory guidance on relationships, sex, and health education requires all primary and secondary schools to ensure that pupils know the key facts and risks associated with drug use, as well as how to manage influences and pressure, and keep themselves healthy and safe. The Department has worked with the Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education Association to develop the lesson plans on drugs and alcohol and commissioned an update of the resources, which was published at the end of last year. The Government has a drug information and advice service called Talk to FRANK, which aims to reduce drug misuse and its harms by increasing awareness, particularly for young people and parents. Talk to FRANK offers easy to read information on the risks of using ketamine, including bladder problems, and mixing it with other substances, as well as basic harm reduction advice.

As a result of additional funding, and in response to increased prevalence, the treatment system is responding, and the proportion of children and young people under the age of 18 years old accessing help in relation to ketamine has increased from under 1% in 2015/16 to 9% in November 2024.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to tackle digital exclusion among older people.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Tackling digital exclusion, which disproportionately impacts certain demographics including older people, is a priority for government.

That is why we published the Digital Inclusion Action Plan – First Steps in February 2025, which outlines the first five actions we are taking over the next year on digital inclusion. Digital exclusion is often age-related, which is why we are keen to address lack of digital skills, as well as access to the internet and to suitable devices.

These actions are our immediate steps to boost digital skills and confidence, widen access to devices and connectivity, and get support to people in their own communities so everyone can reap the benefits of technology.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to make the NHS chickenpox vaccination available to all children.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is considering the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s recommendation, published in November 2023, to introduce a varicella, also known as chickenpox, programme into the immunisation schedule for children.

It is important that any proposed change to the childhood immunisation schedule is comprehensively assessed to maintain the high standards of the United Kingdom’s world-leading vaccination programmes and ensure the best value for money for taxpayers.

The Government will make a final decision about whether to introduce a chickenpox programme, including the eligibility and timing of any potential programme, when this work has concluded.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether children with complex needs who are home educated are eligible to receive free school meals.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Free meals are available to registered pupils of state-funded schools meeting the eligibility criteria, either on school premises or at any place where education is provided.

The department also expects local authorities to consider free meal provision for children and young people receiving education otherwise than at school, commonly referred to as EOTAS, in accordance with Section 61 of the Children and Families Act 2014. This is set out in our published guidance.

In addition to this, all schools have duties under the Equality Act 2010 towards individual disabled children and young people. As this relates to school food provision, schools are required to make reasonable adjustment for disabled pupils to ensure they aren’t put at substantial disadvantage. Further information is available in our published guidance.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to introduce a ban on the import of foie gras.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government shares the British public's high regard for animal welfare and has made clear that the production of foie gras from ducks or geese using force feeding raises serious welfare concerns.

We have been clear that we will use our Trade Strategy to promote the highest food production standards.

Reform of the special educational needs and disabilities system

Post Offices in rural areas

200 year anniversary of the North Devon Infirmary

360 years of the Royal Marines in the South West

Press ownership by foreign states

Prison education insourcing

Three Dads Walking

Role of relationship education in preventing violence against women and girls

Shared Lives Carers

Found: York Outer) Anna Dixon (Labour; Shipley) Peter Fortune (Conservative; Bromley and Biggin Hill) Rachel Gilmour

Found: York Outer) Anna Dixon (Labour; Shipley) Peter Fortune (Conservative; Bromley and Biggin Hill) Rachel Gilmour

Found: York Outer) Anna Dixon (Labour; Shipley) Peter Fortune (Conservative; Bromley and Biggin Hill) Rachel Gilmour

Found: York Outer) Anna Dixon (Labour; Shipley) Peter Fortune (Conservative; Bromley and Biggin Hill) Rachel Gilmour

Found: present: Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Chair); Mr Clive Betts; Mr Luke Charters; Peter Fortune; Rachel Gilmour

Found: present: Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Chair); Mr Clive Betts; Mr Luke Charters; Peter Fortune; Rachel Gilmour

Found: _NC3 Mr Joshua Reynolds Pippa Heylings Susan Murray Rachel Gilmour Tom Gordon Martin Wrigley Calum

Found: Darling Mr Lee Dillon Liz Jarvis Dr Danny Chambers Olly Glover Pippa Heylings Edward Morello Rachel Gilmour

Found: _NC3 Mr Joshua Reynolds Pippa Heylings Susan Murray Rachel Gilmour Tom Gordon Martin Wrigley Calum

Found: Perteghella Mr Will Forster Steve Darling Mr Lee Dillon Liz Jarvis Dr Danny Chambers Olly Glover Rachel Gilmour

Found: _NC3 Mr Joshua Reynolds Pippa Heylings Susan Murray Rachel Gilmour Tom Gordon Martin Wrigley Calum

Found: Manuela Perteghella Mr Will Forster Steve Darling Mr Lee Dillon Liz Jarvis Dr Danny Chambers Rachel Gilmour

Found: Manuela Perteghella Mr Will Forster Steve Darling Mr Lee Dillon Liz Jarvis Dr Danny Chambers Rachel Gilmour

Found: Manuela Perteghella Mr Will Forster Steve Darling Mr Lee Dillon Liz Jarvis Dr Danny Chambers Rachel Gilmour

Found: REPORT STAGE Tuesday 17 June 2025 80 Not called_9 Sarah Champion Apsana Begum Charlotte Nichols Rachel Gilmour

Found: Dyke Ian Sollom Richard Foord Daisy Cooper Freddie van Mierlo Dr Al Pinkerton Tessa Munt Rachel Gilmour