Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that child maintenance calculations adequately reflect disparities in parents' earning, regardless of custody arrangements.

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

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) operates on the principle that both parents have financial responsibility for their child, including their food and clothing, as well as contributing towards the associated costs of running the home that the child lives in. The maintenance calculation is intended to represent what a parent would pay for their child if they lived with them. We assume that in the event of a disparity in parental income, parents will each still spend the same proportion of their income on their child(ren) - but one parent will bear a greater amount of the overall spending on the children where their income is higher. The income of the receiving parent is therefore not included as they are already providing as the child’s primary care giver and therefore spending the amount they would if the parents lived together.

If a parent feels that a decision taken by the Child Maintenance Service is incorrect, they can ask it to look at the decision again. This is known as a mandatory reconsideration.

The CMS is aware that paying parents can face difficulties when attempting to spend meaningful time with their child following separation. Issues relating to access and contact are managed by family courts, however, reductions can be made for the extra cost of care where it is shared by the paying parent. The paying parent must have overnight care of any qualifying children for at least 52 nights a year, equivalent of 1 night per week. The amount payable is reduced by a maximum of fifty percent within bands based on the number of nights overnight care is provided over a 12-month period. The bands are used to give greater stability to maintenance payments and as a result there is greater reliability of payments, which contributes towards the welfare of the children in the case.

If evidence shows that both parties are providing equal day-to-day care of a qualifying child, in addition to sharing overnight care, there is no requirement for either parent to pay child maintenance.

The Government is conducting a review of the child maintenance calculation to make sure it is fit for purpose. This includes updating the underlying research and considering how to ensure the calculation reflects current and future societal trends.

Options for proposed reforms are currently being considered. Any changes made to the child maintenance calculation will be subject to extensive public consultation, and if made, will require amendments to legislation so would be subject to Parliamentary scrutiny.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will publish detailed independent workforce modelling ahead of publication of the 10 Year Workforce Plan.

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

The Government is committed to updating workforce modelling which will be set out in and alongside the 10 Year Workforce Plan when it is published in spring 2026. As we develop the modelling for the 10 Year Workforce Plan, it will be supported by external independent scrutiny.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how the 10 year Workforce Plan will help tackle regional variations in access to specialist care for people with (a) long-term and (b) complex conditions.

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

The Government is committed to publishing a 10 Year Workforce Plan which will ensure the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it. Its development will include consideration of regional variations in access to specialist care.

We are committed to working with partners to ensure the plan meets its aims and will engage independent experts to make sure the plan is ambitious, forward looking, and evidence based.

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 NHS services make reasonable adjustments to accommodate additional need when treating children with (a) SEND and (b) level 3 autism.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is dedicated to ensuring that National Health Services are accessible for everyone, including for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and those who are autistic. In accordance with the Equality Act 2010, public sector organisations must implement reasonable adjustments to enhance accessibility for disabled individuals. All organisations that provide NHS care or adult social care must follow the Accessible Information Standard.

A key initiative being rolled out is the Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag, supported by e-learning for health and care staff. The flag helps healthcare and social care providers identify and implement necessary reasonable adjustments for people, including any adjustment needs relevant to their SEND or autism, and supports provision of appropriate care.

NHS England has published a range of guidance to support tailored care provision. Guidance on Meeting the Needs of Autistic Adults in Mental Health Settings highlights the need for tailored support for autistic individuals facing mental health difficulties, and is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/meeting-the-needs-of-autistic-adults-in-mental-health-services/

Guidance on health and care passports sets out how passports should record a person’s health and care information, such as communication preferences, supporting consistent, and tailored care. Further information on this guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/health-and-care-passports-implementation-guidance/

Furthermore, under the Health and Care Act 2022, all Care Quality Commission registered providers are required to ensure their staff receive specific training on learning disability and autism, appropriate to their role. The Government is rolling out its preferred package, the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism, to the health and adult social care workforce.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average waiting time was for the diagnosis of a neurological condition in the last 12 months.

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

The Department does not hold data specifically on the time taken to reach a confirmed diagnosis of a neurological condition. There is no national dataset that measures the exact time from referral to confirmed diagnosis, as pathways vary by condition and may involve multiple tests and consultations.

We recognise the importance of timely diagnosis and remain committed to delivering the National Health Service constitutional standard for 92% of patients to wait no longer than 18 weeks from Referral to Treatment by March 2029. We are investing in additional capacity to deliver appointments to help bring lists and waiting times down. The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the specific productivity and reform efforts needed to return to the constitutional standard.

Additionally, by expanding community-based services for routine monitoring and follow up, employing artificial intelligence for productivity, and investing in digital tools and data, as outlined in the 10-Year Health Plan, we can ensure that consultants’ time is reserved for complex cases, including specialist diagnostic assessments, for patients with neurological conditions.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of clinical specialists in Parkinson's disease that will need to be recruited in each of the next five years.

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

No specific assessment has been made.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to publish regular reports on workforce numbers in neurological services.

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

The Department has no plans to publish regular reports specifically on workforce numbers in neurological services.

However, NHS England already publishes monthly data on the National Health Service Hospital and Community Health Service workforce in England. This includes data on doctors working in specialities that support neurological services who are employed by NHS provider trusts and integrated care boards.

A time series containing recent data, including selected preliminary statistics for August 2025, can be found within the July 2025 publication of statistics, within the file NHS Workforce Statistics, July 2025 Doctors by Grade and Speciality. Within this file, the full-time equivalent numbers of doctors working in specialities that come under neurological services are available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-workforce-statistics

There are many other professions who are key to the delivery of neurological services, such as nurses, speech and language therapists, and occupational therapists. However, the data published on these professions is not detailed enough to show the service delivery area which these professions work in.

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 clinical staff working in neighbourhood health teams have adequate expertise in Parkinson’s Disease.

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

The Neighbourhood Health Service will bring together teams of professionals closer to people’s homes to work together to provide comprehensive care in the community. We expect neighbourhood teams and services to be designed in a way that reflects the specific needs of local populations, and this could include staff with expertise in Parkinson’s care.

While we will be clear on the outcomes we expect, we will also give significant licence to localities to tailor their approach to local need. Integrated care boards will, therefore, develop workforce models to reflect local population needs, with flexibility for neighbourhoods to design teams that fit their demographics and health priorities.

Britain’s canals and rivers

Local government and social care

Found: South East) Anna Dixon (Labour; Shipley) Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat; Tiverton and Minehead) Sarah Green

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Chair); Mr Clive Betts; Anna Dixon; Sarah Green

Found: South East) Anna Dixon (Labour; Shipley) Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat; Tiverton and Minehead) Sarah Green

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Chair); Mr Clive Betts; Anna Dixon; Sarah Green

Found: South East) Anna Dixon (Labour; Shipley) Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat; Tiverton and Minehead) Sarah Green

Found: Sarah Green: My question is, why didn’t the system work?

Found: Q55 Sarah Green: My question is, why didn’t the system work?