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 reduce regional disparities in the early diagnosis of liver (a) disease and (b) cancer; and if he will provide additional support to (a) the North West and (b) other high-incidence areas.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Early detection of liver disease and cancer is vital to enable interventions and encourage behavioural change that can potentially lead to recovery. Except for liver transplant services, which are commissioned by NHS England, the commissioning of services for diagnosing, monitoring and treating liver disease is generally the responsibility of integrated care systems (ICS). ICSs are responsible for decisions on commissioning health services and reviewing those services to ensure they best meet the needs of their local population.
NHS Cheshire and Merseyside was one of the first integrated care boards in the country to mandate and support the formation of a Clinical Liver Network to improve liver health outcomes across the system. To improve the diagnosis of previously undiagnosed liver disease in non-traditional healthcare settings there is also a Community Liver Health Checks programme. This programme targets people from the most disadvantaged communities and since its inception in April 2023, this programme has delivered 8,564 scans across more than 50 individual sites across Cheshire and Merseyside.
Reducing inequalities is a priority for the forthcoming National Cancer Plan, which will look at the targeted improvements needed across different cancer types to reduce disparities in cancer survival and develop interventions to tackle these. The National Cancer Plan will include further details on improving outcomes for cancer patients, including those with liver cancer, and will highlight how the Department will support the National Health Service to improve diagnosis rates for people in all parts of England. This includes looking at inequalities related to geographic location.
For the first time ever, cancer survival rates in Cheshire and Merseyside have risen above the all-England average. This is largely due to a combination of targeted work, and a step-change in access to early diagnosis supported by a growing network of community diagnostic centres.
Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to prevent developers from leaving (a) play areas, (b) green spaces and (c) other shared communal spaces unfinished or to a substandard level.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Local planning authorities (LPAs) already have a wide range of enforcement powers, with strong penalties for non-compliance, which they can use in instances where development has not taken place in accordance with the relevant planning consent.
These enforcement powers include the power to issue a completion notice which requires a developer to complete their development if it is left uncompleted.
It is for LPAs themselves to decide how and when they use their powers depending on the circumstances of each case.
On 25 May, the government published a Planning Reform Working Paper: Speeding Up Build Out (which can be found on gov.uk here) inviting views on further action the government should take to speed up homes being built.
On the same day, we launched a technical consultation on implementing measures to improve the transparency of build rates from new residential development, which includes proposals to implement provisions in Section 113 of the LURA on the power to decline to determine applications. The consultation can be found on gov.uk here. Subject to the outcome of the consultation, the government intends bring forward the regulations to implement these measures at the earliest practical opportunity with the new build out reporting framework coming into force from 2026.
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, which hospitals will be investigated as part of the inquiry into maternity care in England.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The investigation will carry out rapid reviews of up to ten trusts with specific issues. The University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust will be one of those trusts, as outlined on 23 June. The other trusts will be identified in due course.
Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to help ensure that local government bodies adopt (a) common data standards and (b) open Application Programming Interfaces.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
MHCLG are supporting data standards initiatives to ensure that local government bodies can effectively adopt common data standards and open APIs, to enhance service delivery and interoperability. This includes the Open Referral UK and SAVVI data standards for community services and vulnerable people.
MHCLG’s Digital Planning Programme is working with local planning authorities to adopt common data standards; to provide better access to planning data, improve data quality and to make more data open, to achieve our digital ambitions and make the planning system more efficient. The Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 includes planning data powers, and MHCLG will be introducing data standards for planning data via secondary legislation.
MHCLG are supported by the Government Digital Service on the API programme, which publishes API technical and data standards for all public sector organisations to follow, including local authorities.
Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much of the £740 million investment to support inclusive classrooms has been allocated to schools in Warrington South constituency; and what criteria were used to determine allocations for (a) adaptations, (b) specialist units and (c) additional special school places.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or who require alternative provision sits with local authorities.
The department provides local authorities with capital funding to support them to meet this duty and has published allocations for £740 million in high needs provision capital allocations for the 2025/26 financial year.
Of this £740 million, Warrington Borough Council has been allocated £3 million.
This funding can be used to adapt schools to be more accessible, to create specialist facilities within mainstream schools that can deliver more intensive support adapted to suit pupils’ needs and to create special school places for pupils with the most complex needs.
It is up to the council to determine how they prioritise this funding to address local need in the most appropriate way.
Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether any schools in Warrington South constituency are receiving support through the new attendance and behaviour hubs; and how her Department is monitoring the impact of this programme on pupil (a) attendance and (b) behaviour outcomes.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department recently announced our Attendance and Behaviour Hubs programme and will be announcing the appointment of lead Hubs and further information about available support in the coming months. Schools in need of support will then be matched with lead hubs.
Each new Attendance and Behaviour Hub will work closely with their respective regional improvement for standards and excellence (RISE) team to help identify and deliver the appropriate support for schools with attendance and behaviour challenges. In addition, lead Hubs will also deliver termly regional events, including open days and training sessions, collectively reaching up to 4,500 schools per year.
The programme will be independently evaluated throughout its lifespan utilising process, impact and economic evaluation methodologies.
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, what recent representations he has made to his international counterparts on the recognition of a Palestinian state.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We continue to engage all partners on advancing a two-state solution and supporting the foundations of Palestinian statehood on a regular basis.
The people of the West Bank and Gaza must be given the political perspective of a credible route to a Palestinian state and a new future. That is why this Government supports a two-state solution that guarantees security and stability for both the Israeli and Palestinian people. The Government agrees strongly on the importance of recognition, and that is why we will make sure the timing is right. UK bilateral recognition is the single most important action the UK can take regarding Palestinian statehood. We are committed to recognising a Palestinian state at a time that has the most impact in achieving this reality, creates genuine momentum and is most conducive to long-term prospects for peace. The UK commitment to a two-state solution is unwavering.
Palestinian statehood is the right of the Palestinian people. It is not in the gift of any neighbour and is also essential to the long-term security of Israel.
Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress the Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group has made on developing recommendations to improve inclusivity for neurodivergent children in mainstream schools.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group, chaired by Professor Karen Guldberg from Birmingham University, is providing an expert view and making recommendations on how to best meet the needs of neurodivergent children and young people within mainstream education settings.
The group brings together experts including clinicians, scientists and academics, education professionals, and charities representing specific types of neurodivergence.
The department has been clear that in developing their advice, we expect the group to draw on a wide range of inputs, including other sector experts and stakeholders, to ensure appropriate coverage of other types of neurodivergence. The group have also been listening to the voices of neurodivergent children and young people, their parents, and others who care for them.
The group is finalising its recommendations.
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, what steps her Department is taking to support capital funding for Broomfield's leisure centre in Warrington South constituency.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government recognises the importance of ensuring public access to leisure facilities which are vital spaces for people of all ages to stay fit and healthy, and which play an important role within communities.
The ongoing responsibility of providing access to public leisure facilities lies at local authority level with funding levels set by MHCLG as part of the Local Government Finance Settlement. The Government encourages local authorities to make investments which offer the right opportunities and facilities for the communities they serve, investing in sport and physical activity with a place-based approach, to meet the needs of individual communities.
On 20 June 2025, the Culture Secretary announced that following the Spending Review, at least £400 million is going to be invested into new and upgraded grassroots sport facilities in communities right across the UK, supporting the Government's Plan for Change. We will now work closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what each community needs and then set out further plans.
Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what plans his Department has to (a) reduce duplication in digital services and (b) consolidate departmental platforms.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government is committed to delivering more joined up public services, reducing duplication, and developing modern digital public infrastructure that will make public organisations more integrated. Thousands of teams across the public sector are already using our world-leading digital components such as GOV.UK Notify, Pay and Design System.
The Government will establish a ‘once only’ rule, so that if people have provided information to one service, it can be reused by others with appropriate safeguards. It will start with central government services and commonly reused data, but be designed to scale over time to the broader public sector and more information.
The Government has also committed to introducing a Digital Backbone: the integration, orchestration and instrumentation technology needed to share capabilities and build true end-to-end journeys.