Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
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 the final statutory guidance under the Down Syndrome Act 2022 provides clear expectations on Down syndrome-specific training for professionals working with people with Down syndrome.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill
Under the Down Syndrome Act, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, is required to give guidance to relevant authorities in health, social care, education, and housing services on what they should be doing to meet the needs of people with Down syndrome. The public consultation on the draft guidance closed on 30 March 2026, and the Government is carefully considering the responses received to inform the final guidance to be published.
Relevant authorities, as defined in the schedule to the act, have a duty to have due regard to the final guidance once it is published. The act does not create any new functions beyond this duty. Rather, it brings together existing statutory requirements and guidance that relevant authorities must and/or should already be complying with to support people with Down syndrome and people with other conditions and/or a learning disability who have similar needs.
Under existing legislation, Care Quality Commission registered providers must ensure that staff receive appropriate professional development which is necessary for them to carry out their duties. They must receive specific training on learning disability and autism appropriate to their role, as per Section 20 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008, Section 181(7) of the Health and Care Act 2022, and Regulation 18 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. We expect that providers should be considering whether specific training on Down syndrome is required for their staff, and the draft guidance under the Down Syndrome Act sets out that some staff who work frequently with people with Down syndrome may require additional training on Down syndrome.
Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
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 make an assessment of the effectiveness of the Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Act 2021.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson
The Government recognises the importance of women and girls being able to access the care they need for their reproductive health, including period products. That is why there are several Government schemes across England which ensure that those who are most vulnerable can access the products they need. The Department for Education’s period products scheme launched in 2020 and provides free period products to girls and women in their place of study so that nobody misses out on education because of their period. Similarly, all women and girls being cared for by the National Health Service are entitled to be given, upon request, appropriate period products free of charge. All women in prison have access to menstrual products, which are typically stored in locations that allow women to collect items themselves as needed.
We are also taking steps to ensure that products are as affordable as possible. The tax on period products has been zero-rated since 2021 and, in 2023, this was extended to include reusable period underwear.
The Department will be exploring the effectiveness of the legal duty to provide free period products under the Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Act 2021.
Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has considered introducing financial support for the veterinary care of retired police dogs for injuries and health conditions sustained during operational service.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Police support animals play an important role in crime detection, prevention, and public safety. The government values the bravery and skill of police dogs and their handlers, recognising the strong bond formed through their work.
Police forces are responsible for the welfare of their service animals throughout their service and into retirement. Their retirement can be a combination of local arrangements, such as charitable organisations and volunteers, the exact nature being a local decision for the force, led by Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners.
The government currently has no plans to change the retirement process for police service animals, including the funding of veterinary care.
Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
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 final statutory guidance under the Down Syndrome Act 2022.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill
Under the Down Syndrome Act, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, is required to give statutory guidance to relevant authorities in health, social care, education, and housing services on what they should be doing to meet the needs of people with Down syndrome. The public consultation on the draft guidance was launched on 5 November 2025.
The consultation on draft guidance closed on 30 March 2026, and the Government is carefully considering the responses received to inform the final guidance to be published.
Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of support available for retired police dogs and their handlers following retirement from service.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Police support animals play an important role in crime detection, prevention, and public safety. The government values the bravery and skill of police dogs and their handlers, recognising the strong bond formed through their work.
Police forces are responsible for the welfare of their service animals throughout their service and into retirement. Their retirement can be a combination of local arrangements, such as charitable organisations and volunteers, the exact nature being a local decision for the force, led by Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners.
The government currently has no plans to change the retirement process for police service animals, including the funding of veterinary care.
Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of aluminium scrap exports to non-OECD markets; and what trade or regulatory measures his Department is considering to prevent the leakage of aluminium scrap away from the UK and European market.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government has established a Metals Circularity Group, working collaboratively with industry and expert stakeholders, alongside the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, the Ministry of Defence, and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. This will examine scrap supply and trends across steel, aluminium and critical minerals, and to consider whether further policy or regulatory measures are needed.
Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has held discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of establishing a judge-led public inquiry into the UK Government’s potential role in relation to Operation Blue Star in 1984.
Answered by Seema Malhotra
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the financial impact on unpaid carers of repaying Carer’s Allowance overpayments.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)
This Government recognises and values the vital contribution made by unpaid carers every day in providing significant care and continuity of support to family and friends with disabilities.
The Department has published research into people’s experiences of claiming and receiving Carer’s Allowance in May 2024. The issue of overpayments is covered at pages 54-57: experiences-of-claiming-and-receiving-ca-research-report-final.pdf.
Overpayments can arise for a number of reasons. With respect to those linked to the treatment of earnings in Carer’s Allowance, we inherited a system where some busy carers, already struggling under a huge weight of caring responsibilities, found themselves with unexpected debts. We commissioned an Independent Review, led by Liz Sayce OBE, to investigate why overpayments occurred, how people affected can be better supported, and what changes are needed to prevent similar issues in future. We have published the findings of the Review, acknowledged the shortcomings identified, apologised to those affected, and accepted in full or in part 38 of the Review’s 40 recommendations.
As part of its response, the Government committed to reassessing Carer’s Allowance cases which may have been affected by faulty guidance on averaging of irregularly fluctuating earnings. This guidance was in place between April 2015 and September 2025 and did not accurately reflect the statutory position. The reassessment exercise began on 13 April 2026. Funding of £75m has been provided for the exercise in the financial years 2026/27 to 2028/29. The department expects to review over 200,000 cases, potentially reducing, cancelling, or refunding debts for around 25,000 carers.
Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has made an recent assessment of the effectiveness of the regulation of gambling advertising.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
All gambling operators in the UK must comply with robust advertising codes, which are enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) independently of Government. These codes apply across all advertising platforms, including broadcast, online and social media. The codes are regularly reviewed and updated and include a wide range of provisions designed to protect children and vulnerable adults from harm.
In addition, the Gambling Commission has introduced a range of new advertising regulations. This includes a ban on cross-marketing multiple gambling products within one incentive, requirements for new and existing customers to “opt-in” to the specific types of marketing they receive, and a cap on wagering requirements.
Since the Budget, the Government has also renewed efforts to tackle illegal gambling advertising, which poses the most immediate risk to the young and vulnerable.
We will continue to monitor a wide range of evidence regarding gambling advertising when making future policy decisions.
Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of support available to people with brain tumours through health and social care services.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson
The Department recognises the significant impact that rare cancers, such as brain tumours, can have on people. The Department is committed to improving people’s experience with brain tumours across the system, from diagnosis to treatment and beyond.
NHS England aims to empower individuals with choice and control over their health and care through personalised care, focusing on promoting independence, good health, and well-being.
Where appropriate, every person diagnosed with cancer will have access to personalised care, including needs assessment, a care plan, and health and wellbeing information and support. This includes provision of information, empowering people to manage their care and the impact of their cancer. Personalised care ensures that each person’s care is planned holistically, covering mental and physical health as well as any practical or financial concerns, with support increasingly delivered through neighbourhood services and accessible digitally through the NHS App.
In addition, the recently published National Cancer Plan aims to redesign cancer services around people’s lives, not just around hospitals, recognising that more people are living for longer with and beyond cancer and need ongoing, coordinated support. The Department will ensure patients have a named neighbourhood lead to help coordinate their care locally, working alongside hospital specialists to provide continuity, reduce fragmentation, and make it easier for people to navigate services.
The plan also recognises that living well with cancer goes beyond healthcare alone. The Department will work with employers, charities, community services, and other partners to help people stay in work, maintain independence, and access trusted advice and support from the point of diagnosis.