Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of measures to protect women and girls from harassment, abuse and intimidation.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Everyone has the right to both feel safe and be safe going about their day-to-day lives and the scale of violence against women and girls (VAWG) in our country is intolerable.

We recognise that public sexual harassment is a crime that often leaves victims, who are disproportionately likely to be women, feeling very unsafe. That is why tackling it is very much an important part of our ambition to halve VAWG in a decade.

Once in force, the Protection from Sex-Based Harassment in Public Act 2023 will help tackle this issue and ensure women both feel and are safer on our streets.

We are also working tirelessly across Government to deliver a new VAWG Strategy, which will set out the strategic direction and concrete actions to deliver the Government’s objectives on VAWG.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to improve access to mental health services for veterans in the North West.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

This is a Government of service that will always stand up for those who have served our country. In the North West and across the United Kingdom, the Veterans Welfare Service provides advice and support to veterans and their families. In England, Op COURAGE and Op RESTORE provide a broad range of specialist mental health, physical and wellbeing care services to veterans.

Additionally, with the North West Thrive Together programme, it is building and improving the veteran self-help referral process and reducing the stigma of asking for help by those that need it the most.

The Reducing Veteran Homelessness ‘Homes at Ease’ programme in the North West provides mental health support for housing applications. In 2024-25, it delivered 267 psychotherapy sessions to 54 beneficiaries to provide a bridge to highly stretched services in the region.

In May this year, we also announced VALOUR, our new commitment, backed by £50 million, to establish the first-ever UK-wide approach to veteran support, which will ensure easier access to essential care and support for veterans across the country.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will take steps to ensure that NHS pay awards are implemented on 1 April each year.

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

The Government is committed to improving the timing of the pay round as set out in the Chancellor’s speech on 29 July 2024. We recognise the importance of giving certainty on pay settlements as early as possible and are working to be able to announce pay uplifts sooner this round.

Having accepted the 2025/26 headline pay recommendations in full, the Government issued remit letters to pay review boards in July 2025 formally beginning the 2026/27 pay round. This is over two months earlier than last year and puts us on track to meet the stated ambition of my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, to announce and implement pay uplifts as close to 1 April 2026 as possible.

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 adequacy of waiting times for cardiac care in the North West.

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

Tackling the waiting list is a top priority for the Government. This includes decreasing wait times for those accessing cardiac care. We have exceeded our pledge to deliver over two million more elective care appointments. More than double that number, or 5.2 million more appointments, have now been delivered in England.

On 6 January 2025, NHS England published the new Elective Reform Plan. This sets out a whole system approach to delivering on the commitment that 92% of patients will wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment, in line with the National Health Service constitutional standard, by March 2029.

As of the end of July 2025, compared with the end of June 2024, the overall number of people waiting for cardiac treatment in the North West has fallen by 7,536. However, performance against the 18-week target has decreased by 0.3 percentage points over the same period, namely 56.2% in June 2024 and 55.9% in July 2025.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish the new NHS workforce plan.

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

We will publish our 10 Year Workforce Plan by the end of 2025.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many requests for biometric deferral have been received from Palestinian students in Gaza since October 2023; and how many have been approved.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Home Office does not currently publish data regarding the number of biometric deferral requests submitted or approved.

The Home Office has put in place systems to issue expedited visas, with biometric checks conducted prior to arrival in the UK for all Chevening scholars from Gaza.  We are in the process of doing the same for a group of students in Gaza who have been awarded fully funded scholarships covering course fees and living costs at UK universities so they can start their studies in Autumn 2025. The Government is doing everything it can to support their safe exit and onward travel to the UK. The situation on the ground in Gaza makes this extremely challenging.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that end-to-end encryption continues to protect personal privacy while enabling law enforcement to detect serious criminal activity.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

This Government supports strong encryption, which protects our citizens online. However, this must not and need not be at the expense of public safety, which is this Government’s first priority.

Targeted investigatory powers allow the authorities to investigate terrorists, paedophiles and the most serious criminals and are subject to robust safeguards, including judicial authorisations and oversight to protect people’s privacy.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions she has had with local authorities on tackling (a) pavement parking and (b) other obstructions for (i) pushchair, (ii) wheelchair and (iii) mobility aid users.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Secretary of State has not had any discussions with local authorities on these matters. The Government fully understands the serious problems that vehicles parked on the pavement, and other obstacles on the pavement, can cause for pedestrians, especially for people with mobility or sight impairments and those with wheelchairs, prams or pushchairs. The Department has been considering all the views expressed in response to the 2020 pavement parking consultation and is currently working through the policy options and the appropriate means of delivering them. We will announce the next steps and publish our formal response as soon as possible.  In the meantime, local authorities can make use of existing powers to manage pavement parking, and it is up to them to decide where to restrict pavement parking and what enforcement is appropriate. Recent reforms by my Department to the process by which Traffic Regulation Orders are made will make it easier for them to do so.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, for what reason the aluminium sector was not included in the Industrial Strategy.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Industrial Strategy focusses on the eight sectors with the highest economic potential, while supporting the Government's strategic objectives of resilient, environmentally sustainable, and regionally balanced growth. It also identifies foundational inputs for those sectors, including aluminium.

The aluminium sector will benefit from wider growth policies. The latest UK criticality assessment includes aluminium within its critical minerals list, to be used as the basis for the upcoming Critical Minerals Strategy. Some aluminium businesses will benefit from the increased network charge compensation.

We will also consult on eligibility for the new British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme, which will cut electricity bills for electricity-intensive industries by up to 25%.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Israeli counterpart on the killing of civilians seeking aid in Gaza.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Reports and footage of the chaos at Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) sites are horrifying. It is appalling that at least 2,294 people have been killed and over 16,839 injured at or near the distribution sites. This further illustrates why humanitarian partners such as the UN and humanitarian non-governmental organisations must be allowed to operate in line with their principles. We have repeatedly urged Israel to remove restrictions on aid and ensure that aid can be delivered across the Gaza strip safely.

The UK has been clear that we will not support any aid mechanism that seeks to deliver political or military objectives or puts vulnerable civilians at risk while retrieving aid.

On 11 July, I called for an independent investigation into the killing of women and children while collecting aid in central Gaza. Indications that Israel's Military Advocate General may open an investigation into allegations of deliberate targeting of civilians at aid distribution sites are a step in the right direction. We expect those responsible to be held to account.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to help safeguard public sector digital infrastructure against cyberattacks.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Government is committed to improving the cyber resilience of public sector digital infrastructure, focusing our efforts around the Government Cyber Security Strategy.

We have already made important steps to better understand and mitigate cyber risk and are now accelerating our response to address key risks and better support departments through a more interventionist approach.

This accelerated response will address the long-standing shortage of cyber skills, strengthen accountability for cyber risks, provide greater support for delivery in the form of cyber services, guidance, and hands-on technical support and bolster our response capabilities to fast-moving cyber incidents.

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 the 10-Year Plan for Health promotes equitable access to (a) palliative and (b) end of life care.

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

One of the three ‘shifts’ that the 10 Year Health Plan will deliver is around the Government’s determination to shift healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to ensure patients and their families receive personalised care in the most appropriate setting. Palliative care and end of life care services will have a big role to play in that shift and were highlighted in the plan as being an integral part of neighbourhood teams.

I have tasked officials to look at how to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all- age palliative and end of life care in line with the 10 Year Health Plan.

Officials will present further proposals to ministers over the coming months, outlining the drivers and incentives that are required in palliative care and end of life care to enable the shift from hospital to community, including as part of neighbourhood health teams.

To support integrated care boards (ICBs) in the commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications. The guidance makes specific reference to commissioners defining how their services will meet population needs 24/7 and includes a priority action for ensuring that staff, patients, and carers can access the care and advice they need, whatever time of day.

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance on the service delivery of end of life care for adults also includes recommendations about 24/7 access to care. Although NICE guidance is not mandatory, there is an expectation that commissioners and service providers take the guidelines into account when making decisions about how to best meet the needs of their local communities.

The Government and the National Health Service will closely monitor the shift towards the strategic commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services to help ensure that services remove variation in access and quality, although some variation may be appropriate to reflect both innovation and the needs of local populations.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to introduce a 24/7 single point of access for palliative and end of life care (a) advice, (b) guidance and (c) support, following the publication of the 10-Year Plan for Health.

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

One of the three ‘shifts’ that the 10 Year Health Plan will deliver is around the Government’s determination to shift healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to ensure patients and their families receive personalised care in the most appropriate setting. Palliative care and end of life care services will have a big role to play in that shift and were highlighted in the plan as being an integral part of neighbourhood teams.

I have tasked officials to look at how to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all- age palliative and end of life care in line with the 10 Year Health Plan.

Officials will present further proposals to ministers over the coming months, outlining the drivers and incentives that are required in palliative care and end of life care to enable the shift from hospital to community, including as part of neighbourhood health teams.

To support integrated care boards (ICBs) in the commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications. The guidance makes specific reference to commissioners defining how their services will meet population needs 24/7 and includes a priority action for ensuring that staff, patients, and carers can access the care and advice they need, whatever time of day.

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance on the service delivery of end of life care for adults also includes recommendations about 24/7 access to care. Although NICE guidance is not mandatory, there is an expectation that commissioners and service providers take the guidelines into account when making decisions about how to best meet the needs of their local communities.

The Government and the National Health Service will closely monitor the shift towards the strategic commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services to help ensure that services remove variation in access and quality, although some variation may be appropriate to reflect both innovation and the needs of local populations.

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 provide funding certainty to hospices beyond this financial year, in the context of the 10-year plan for palliative and end-of-life care.

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

One of the three ‘shifts’ that the 10 Year Health Plan will deliver is around the Government’s determination to shift healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to ensure patients and their families receive personalised care in the most appropriate setting. Palliative care and end of life care services will have a big role to play in that shift and were highlighted in the plan as being an integral part of neighbourhood teams.

I have tasked officials to look at how to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all- age palliative and end of life care in line with the 10 Year Health Plan.

Officials will present further proposals to ministers over the coming months, outlining the drivers and incentives that are required in palliative care and end of life care to enable the shift from hospital to community, including as part of neighbourhood health teams.

To support integrated care boards (ICBs) in the commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications. The guidance makes specific reference to commissioners defining how their services will meet population needs 24/7 and includes a priority action for ensuring that staff, patients, and carers can access the care and advice they need, whatever time of day.

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance on the service delivery of end of life care for adults also includes recommendations about 24/7 access to care. Although NICE guidance is not mandatory, there is an expectation that commissioners and service providers take the guidelines into account when making decisions about how to best meet the needs of their local communities.

The Government and the National Health Service will closely monitor the shift towards the strategic commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services to help ensure that services remove variation in access and quality, although some variation may be appropriate to reflect both innovation and the needs of local populations.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the 10-Year Plan for Health, if he will publish further detail on proposals to increase the provision of palliative and end of life care in community settings.

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

One of the three ‘shifts’ that the 10 Year Health Plan will deliver is around the Government’s determination to shift healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to ensure patients and their families receive personalised care in the most appropriate setting. Palliative care and end of life care services will have a big role to play in that shift and were highlighted in the plan as being an integral part of neighbourhood teams.

I have tasked officials to look at how to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all- age palliative and end of life care in line with the 10 Year Health Plan.

Officials will present further proposals to ministers over the coming months, outlining the drivers and incentives that are required in palliative care and end of life care to enable the shift from hospital to community, including as part of neighbourhood health teams.

To support integrated care boards (ICBs) in the commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications. The guidance makes specific reference to commissioners defining how their services will meet population needs 24/7 and includes a priority action for ensuring that staff, patients, and carers can access the care and advice they need, whatever time of day.

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance on the service delivery of end of life care for adults also includes recommendations about 24/7 access to care. Although NICE guidance is not mandatory, there is an expectation that commissioners and service providers take the guidelines into account when making decisions about how to best meet the needs of their local communities.

The Government and the National Health Service will closely monitor the shift towards the strategic commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services to help ensure that services remove variation in access and quality, although some variation may be appropriate to reflect both innovation and the needs of local populations.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking with farmers to help improve the resilience of domestic food supply chains.

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

Food security is national security. We need a resilient and healthy food system, that works with nature and supports British farmers, fishers and food producers.

As part of the Government’s Plan for Change we are delivering on the Government’s New Deal for Farmers which includes a raft of new policies and major investment to boost profits for farmers.

We've allocated a record £11.8 billion to sustainable farming and food production over this parliament.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the number of security officers at magistrate's courts.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

Security in our courts and judicial security is paramount. Over £20 million in additional funding in 2025/26 has been allocated to a programme of works to further strengthen the existing arrangements. Local court security risk assessments are carried out to determine the appropriate number of Court Security Officers deployed at Magistrates Courts. These are reviewed when there are any significant changes to work activities or threats. There are ongoing risk monitoring arrangements in place to ensure the adequacy of these arrangements.

Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the availability of menopause support services.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We are committed to prioritising women’s health as we reform the National Health Service.

NHS England is working on menopause workforce support packages for employees and developing a range of tools and interventions that will help to upskill more GPs in menopause care, including awareness of mental health symptoms during menopause, and improve access to treatments. We are also using Community Diagnostic Centres to pilot pathways for women that suffer from post-menopausal bleeding.

We also know that support in the workplace during the menopause can be crucial. Which is why we will: require large employers to detail the steps they are taking to support their staff as part of an action plan; and, publish guidance for small and medium employers on the measures they should consider to enable women to better manage their symptoms.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to expand prescribing of GLP-1 medications beyond specialist weight-management services.

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

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance on the first two GLP-1 medicines licensed for the treatment of obesity, namely liraglutide under various brand names and semaglutide with brand name Wegovy, restricted their use to specialist weight management services. These services are primarily delivered in secondary care.

NICE recommended that tirzepatide, with brand name Mounjaro, could be used for the treatment of obesity in eligible patients without a restriction on its setting. This means tirzepatide can be used in specialist weight management services but can also be prescribed in primary care by general practitioners (GPs) and other competent prescribers. From 23 June 2025, tirzepatide started to become available in primary care so the expansion beyond specialist services is underway.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are the National Health Service organisations responsible for arranging the provision of health services within their area in line with local population need and taking account of relevant guidance. ICBs have had to develop new care pathways to ensure that patients can access these medicines via their GP with appropriate wraparound support. NHS England has been working closely with ICBs to support the safe and effective roll out of tirzepatide in primary care. It has identified the groups of people to be prioritised in each phase of the initial rollout; helped develop local treatment models; provided funding support and regular communication channels to ICBs; and set up an interim, centrally funded ‘wraparound care service’, known as the ‘Healthier You: Behavioural Support for Obesity Prescribing’, for patients to be referred into, with a procurement underway for a longer-term offer.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has had recent discussions with Eli Lilly on the cost of Mounjaro.

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

The Department has held various discussions with Eli Lilly regarding the recent list price increase of Mounjaro. NHS England has worked with Eli Lilly to ensure the list price increase will not affect National Health Service commissioning of tirzepatide in England as a treatment for eligible diabetes and obesity patients in the NHS.

We remain committed to the rollout of this medicine as a weight loss treatment based on clinical priority. This will enable 220,000 eligible people to access the medication over the first three years. The initial eligibility criteria will be for people with a body mass index of 40 or more in addition to four or more qualifying comorbidities.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have also entered equivalent agreements to maintain their current commissioning approaches.

Pricing in the private market is a matter for Eli Lilly and for private providers. Private patients who are impacted by price increases should discuss any concerns with their private provider. This includes their options regarding payment plans, alternative treatments, and/or stopping or tapering off their current medication. Eli Lilly is working with private providers to support continued patient access.

Found: (Liberal Democrat; Tiverton and Minehead) Sarah Green (Liberal Democrat; Chesham and Amersham) Sarah Hall

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Mr Clive Betts (Chair); Sarah Hall; Lloyd Hatton; Sarah Olney; Michael