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 ensure a multi-year funding agreement for social care to cover the full cost of care and enable care providers to plan long term.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

From 2026/27, we want to fundamentally improve the way we fund councils and direct funding to where it is most needed through the first multi-year settlement in 10 years. This will provide greater long-term certainty for local authorities and will enable local government to focus on its priorities, delivering for residents and providing vital front-line services that people rely on every day.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department is taking steps to support early years providers with increases in employer National Insurance contributions.

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

This government has had to take some tough decisions to get public finances back on track, but we are continuing to invest in the early years sector, supporting the delivery of expanded childcare entitlements and recognising the vital role the sector plays in giving children the best start in life.

In the 2025/26 financial year alone, this government plans to spend over £8 billion on early years entitlements, with an additional £75 million provided in an expansion grant to ensure there are sufficient places and staff for eligible working families to access their 30 hours entitlement from September 2025. Further, we announced the largest ever uplift to the early years pupil premium, increasing the rate by over 45% compared to 2024/25 financial year, which is equivalent to up to £570 per eligible child per year. On top of this, we are providing £25 million through the forthcoming National Insurance Contributions grant for public sector employers in early years.

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 the availability of (a) Levetiracetam and (b) other medications in the supply chain.

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

The Department is aware that some manufacturers of levetiracetam tablets are facing supply issues. However, alternative suppliers can fully support the market during this time.

Medicine supply chains are complex, global, and highly regulated, and there are a number of reasons why supply can be disrupted, many of which are not specific to the United Kingdom and outside of Government control, including manufacturing difficulties, access to raw materials, sudden demand spikes or distribution issues, and regulatory issues. There are approximately 14,000 licensed medicines, and the overwhelming majority are in good supply.

While we can’t always prevent supply issues from occurring, we have a range of well-established processes and tools to manage them when they arise, to mitigate risks to patients. These include close and regular engagement with suppliers, use of alternative strengths or forms of a medicine to allow patients to remain on the same product, expediting regulatory procedures, sourcing unlicensed imports from abroad, adding products to the restricted exports and hoarding list, use of Serious Shortage Protocols, and issuing National Health Service communications to provide management advice and information on issues to healthcare professionals including pharmacists, so they can advise and support their patients.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in what circumstances benefits are paid to foreign nationals.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

It is the expectation of the Government that, in general, migrants coming to the UK should be able to maintain and accommodate themselves without recourse to ‘public funds’ (such as Universal Credit). Access to benefits flows from an individual’s immigration status, which the Home Office grants.

If an individual holds a valid immigration status that also allows them to access public funds benefits (i.e., they do not have a “No Recourse to Public Funds” condition), then they are subject to the same eligibility criteria as any other customer. This usually includes meeting the requirements of the Habitual Residence Test (for income-related benefits), the Past Presence Test (for disability benefits), and / or necessary National Insurance contributions (for contributions-based benefits).

People who are in the UK illegally (i.e. those without immigration status) cannot access DWP public funds benefits. Asylum seekers also cannot access DWP public funds benefits whilst their application is being processed and decided by the Home Office.

People the UK has welcomed as refugees or under special Afghan and Ukraine visa schemes can access benefits as soon as they have been granted their immigration status (provided they meet the other relevant eligibility criteria). This ensures that can access the support they need quickly, given the unusual and difficult circumstances of their arrival.

Found: Chair); Alex Brewer; David Burton-Sampson; Rosie Duffield; Kirith Entwistle; Catherine Fookes; Samantha Niblett

Found: Catherine Fookes (Labour; Monmouthshire) Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat; Edinburgh West) Samantha Niblett

Found: ; Alex Brewer; David Burton-Sampson; Kirith Entwistle; Catherine Fookes; Christine Jardine; Samantha Niblett

Found: ; Alex Brewer; David Burton-Sampson; Kirith Entwistle; Catherine Fookes; Christine Jardine; Samantha Niblett

Found: Ms Stella Creasy Adrian Ramsay Liz Jarvis Wera Hobhouse Alison Hume Kirith Entwistle Samantha Niblett

The Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) will hold a session in Parliament on Wednesday, 5 March to look at the prevalence and impact of female genital mutilation (FGM) in the UK and to examine the work of the UK Government to prevent FGM and to address the health consequences of survivors of FGM.