Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to improve the availability of domestic abuse services in semi-rural areas.

Answered by Jess Phillips

Every victim of violence against women and girls (VAWG), whether in a city or a rural village, should be able to access the help they need. In the 'Freedom from Violence and Abuse’ Strategy, we committed to developing a new cross-government statement on the commissioning of VAWG services. This statement aims to strengthen the quality of commissioning from local commissioners, and it will support local areas to tailor their provision to their local communities, including rural victims.

Last year (2025/26), the Home Office invested over £6m into specialist helplines to support victims of VAWG and we are expanding our investment into the VAWG helplines this financial year. The helplines are accessible across England and Wales and provide advice and support to victims and assist in signposting and referrals to appropriate local services.

Last year, the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Defra) commenced a call for evidence across a network of rural stakeholders to inform our understanding of the availability of support services and effective practice to provide support in rural areas. This research will help to confront the disparities in the provision and inform our future work to address the disparities of provision.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the General Dental Council on reducing the waiting time for fitness to practice cases to be heard.

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

The Department has regular discussions with the General Dental Council (GDC) on regulatory matters. While the GDC is an independent regulator responsible for managing its fitness to practise processes, the Government expects the GDC to take steps to improve the efficiency and timeliness of case handling.

The GDC recently published its strategy, Trusted and effective: A strategy for dental regulation 2026-2028, which sets out its vision and objectives, and the work it will do to achieve them. One of those objectives is to improve fitness to practise, maximising patient safety and reducing unintended impacts. The published strategy is available at the following link:

https://www.gdc-uk.org/docs/default-source/about-us/corporate-strategy-2025/gdc_strategy_2026_2028_final.pdf?sfvrsn=3ec0b80f_1

In parallel, the Department is progressing wider, longer-term reforms to the regulatory frameworks of the healthcare professional regulators. These will enable them to be more responsive to changes in the health and care workforce and give them the flexibility to modernise their fitness to practise processes whilst maintaining public protection.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Home Office's White Paper entitled Restoring control over the immigration system, published on 12 May 2025, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of proposed changes to the immigration system on the NHS.

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

The Government has published impact assessments alongside the Spring 2025 Immigration Rules, which implement proposals set out in the White Paper, Restoring control over the immigration system. These impact assessments set out the expected effects of the reforms on the Skilled Worker and Health and Care Worker routes, including modelling of changes in overall visa volumes. The impact assessments are published on the GOV.UK website, at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/impact-assessments-covering-migration-policy

The forthcoming 10 Year Workforce Plan 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.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has made an assessment of the sufficiency of the level of accessible homes for people with disabilities in the North West.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Data relating to the number of wheelchair accessible homes is not collected centrally, although the English Housing Survey collects occasional series on accessibility and adaptations within the home.

Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, the government consulted a new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The consultation on the revised Framework, which can be found on gov.uk here, included proposals to set clearer expectations for accessible housing to meet the needs of older and disabled people. We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish our response in due course.

Local authorities have a statutory duty to provide adaptations for people who satisfy a needs assessment, eligibility criteria, and a means test. The Disabled Facilities Grant is provided by government and distributed to local authorities to fund home adaptations for disabled people of all ages and tenures subject to the statutory conditions.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure the accessibility of new housing for people with disabilities.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Data relating to the number of wheelchair accessible homes is not collected centrally, although the English Housing Survey collects occasional series on accessibility and adaptations within the home.

Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, the government consulted a new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The consultation on the revised Framework, which can be found on gov.uk here, included proposals to set clearer expectations for accessible housing to meet the needs of older and disabled people. We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish our response in due course.

Local authorities have a statutory duty to provide adaptations for people who satisfy a needs assessment, eligibility criteria, and a means test. The Disabled Facilities Grant is provided by government and distributed to local authorities to fund home adaptations for disabled people of all ages and tenures subject to the statutory conditions.

Hillsborough Law

Found: Abtisam Mohamed: Ban on trade with illegal Israeli settlements Anna Dixon, Sarah Coombes and Sarah Russell

Found: Maguire Robbie Moore Chris Murray Bell Ribeiro-Addy Jake Richards Florence Eshalomi and Sarah Russell

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Andy Slaughter (Chair); Pam Cox; Warinder Juss; Tessa Munt; Sarah Russell

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Andy Slaughter (Chair); Pam Cox; Warinder Juss; Tessa Munt; Sarah Russell

Found: the meeting Members present: Andy Slaughter (Chair); Pam Cox; Sir Ashley Fox; Warinder Juss; Sarah Russell