Asked by: Sarah Pochin (Reform UK - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Government plans to extend financial redress schemes arising from the Hughes Report on medical devices to men who have suffered complications from hernia mesh.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 14 July in response to Question 16121.
Asked by: Sarah Pochin (Reform UK - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department has made in implementing the recommendations of the Hughes Report on medical devices; and whether financial redress arrangements will apply equally to men who have suffered complications from hernia mesh.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 14 July in response to Question 16121.
Asked by: Sarah Pochin (Reform UK - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether men who have experienced complications from hernia mesh are eligible for financial redress.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 14 July in response to Question 16121.
Asked by: Sarah Pochin (Reform UK - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Prime Minister’s announcement of £8.4 billion for the Dreadnought submarine programme on 30 July 2026, how much of that funding is additional to previously announced departmental spending settlements.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The £8.4 billion was forecast within the Dreadnought cost envelope, as set out in the 2015 National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review.
Asked by: Sarah Pochin (Reform UK - Runcorn and Helsby)
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 trends in the level of waiting times for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Demand for children and young people’s mental health services continues to increase, with referrals rising from around 70,000 per month in March 2016 to almost 130,000 per month in March 2026, placing significant pressure on services and contributing to longer waiting times. Later this year, the Government will publish a new cross-government Mental Health Strategy, which will focus on prevention, earlier intervention and reducing waiting times, alongside wider reforms to SEND services and children’s mental health support. We are also expanding early support for children and young people through Mental Health Support Teams, Early Support Hubs and Young Futures Hubs, as part of efforts to ensure children receive support earlier and reduce pressure on specialist services.
Asked by: Sarah Pochin (Reform UK - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many authorised firearms officers were employed by each police force in England and Wales in each of the last 10 years.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office publishes annual statistics on the total number of armed officers and operationally deployable armed officers (which excludes absences) in England and Wales in the “Police use of firearms statistics” publication. The latest data, covering the year ending 31 March 2026, can be accessed on GOV.UK (at the following link):
Police use of firearms statistics, April 2025 to March 2026 - GOV.UK
Data on the number of operationally deployable armed officers, by police force area, for the last 10 years are available in the accompanying open data tables at the link above. Data on the total number of firearms officers are available at the link above from 2021/22 and by police force area from 2022/23 only. Data on total armed officers were not collected prior to 2021/22.
Asked by: Sarah Pochin (Reform UK - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help improve educational attainment among white working-class boys in England.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
White disadvantaged boys face a distinct and persistent set of challenges within the current system, including some of the lowest attainment at GCSE. Their average attainment has worsened since the pandemic, in line with declines seen across several other groups, although their outcomes remain among the lowest.
The government recognises that, especially for disadvantaged children, engagement and attainment at school is driven by high-quality teaching, a strong and inclusive school environment, and additional targeted support. The ‘Every child achieving and thriving’ White Paper sets out a coordinated programme of reform to raise standards, with a strong focus on disadvantaged pupils and white working-class children.
The independent inquiry into white working-class educational outcomes identified barriers to engagement and attainment, and the challenges associated with key transitions throughout the education system. Following its publication, we will continue to engage as the inquiry enters its second phase.
Our approach is comprehensive: rebuilding early family support, developing a new model for targeting disadvantage funding so it better reflects need, strengthening teaching quality and ensuring high-quality curricula are embedded across the system.
We are also launching two place-based missions, Mission North East and Mission Coastal, to drive sustained improvement in areas where outcomes remain stubbornly low, including for white working-class boys. These missions will bring together schools, families and local partners at place level to tackle entrenched disadvantage and raise attainment.
In parallel, the department is progressing reforms to the special educational needs and disabilities system to ensure earlier identification of need and more consistent, tailored support. These reforms will support inclusion and ensure that children with special educational needs, who are disproportionately represented among disadvantaged cohorts, receive the support required to achieve and thrive.
Asked by: Sarah Pochin (Reform UK - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what analysis she has conducted of the educational progress of white working-class boys in England.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
White disadvantaged boys face a distinct and persistent set of challenges within the current system, including some of the lowest attainment at GCSE. Their average attainment has worsened since the pandemic, in line with declines seen across several other groups, although their outcomes remain among the lowest.
The government recognises that, especially for disadvantaged children, engagement and attainment at school is driven by high-quality teaching, a strong and inclusive school environment, and additional targeted support. The ‘Every child achieving and thriving’ White Paper sets out a coordinated programme of reform to raise standards, with a strong focus on disadvantaged pupils and white working-class children.
The independent inquiry into white working-class educational outcomes identified barriers to engagement and attainment, and the challenges associated with key transitions throughout the education system. Following its publication, we will continue to engage as the inquiry enters its second phase.
Our approach is comprehensive: rebuilding early family support, developing a new model for targeting disadvantage funding so it better reflects need, strengthening teaching quality and ensuring high-quality curricula are embedded across the system.
We are also launching two place-based missions, Mission North East and Mission Coastal, to drive sustained improvement in areas where outcomes remain stubbornly low, including for white working-class boys. These missions will bring together schools, families and local partners at place level to tackle entrenched disadvantage and raise attainment.
In parallel, the department is progressing reforms to the special educational needs and disabilities system to ensure earlier identification of need and more consistent, tailored support. These reforms will support inclusion and ensure that children with special educational needs, who are disproportionately represented among disadvantaged cohorts, receive the support required to achieve and thrive.
Asked by: Sarah Pochin (Reform UK - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential barriers to home ownership for first-time buyers.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
This government recognises that the affordability challenges facing prospective first-time buyers mean that too many people are now locked out of homeownership.
In addition to increasing the supply of homes of all tenures, the government is supporting people into home ownership, including through the shared ownership scheme and the Lifetime ISA, and is consulting on a new first-time buyer ISA product.
First time buyers also benefit from paying no Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) up to £300,000 and are able to claim relief on purchases up to £500,000. The government has also introduced a new, permanent Mortgage Guarantee Scheme, available to support and sustain availability of low deposit mortgage products for prospective buyers.
Additionally, the Bank of England has been easing the loan-to-income limit, enabling up to 36,000 additional first-time buyers in the first year. The Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) ongoing review of the mortgage market means many buyers can now borrow 10% more towards a property purchase, and in June the FCA published further proposals intended to support first-time buyers. First-time buyers may also benefit from home ownership initiatives offered at the local level.
Asked by: Sarah Pochin (Reform UK - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of population growth on housing demand in England.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Question UIN 51990 on 19 May 2025.